Source: http://open.nysenate.gov/legislation/bill/S220-2013
Timestamp: 2015-03-01 00:35:52
Document Index: 263996118

Matched Legal Cases: ['Art 40', '§900', 'Art 50', '§1001', 'Art 40', '§900', '§400', '§212', '§ 400', '§ 923', '§ 400']

S220-2013 - NY Senate Open Legislation - Relates to licensing of gun dealer employees, recertification of gun licensees and reporting of misdemeanor crimes of domestic violence - New York State Senate
Bill S220-2013
Relates to licensing of gun dealer employees, recertification of gun licensees and reporting of misdemeanor crimes of domestic violence
S220-2013 Sponsor:SQUADRON
Law: Ren Art 40 §§900 & 901 to be Art 50 §§1001 & 1002, add Art 40 §§900 - 904, Gen Bus L; amd §400.00, Pen L; amd §212, Judy L
BILL NUMBER:S220TITLE OF BILL:An act to amend the general business law, the penal law and the judiciary law, in relation to licensing of gun dealer employees, recertification of gun licensees and reporting of misdemeanor crimes of domestic violencePURPOSE OF THE BILL:This bill would enhance New York's ability to ensure that individuals in possession of firearms licenses and who sell guns at gun stores are legally entitled to possess these weapons. The bill would require that: (1) employees of gunsmiths and gun dealers undergo a National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) check; (2) any person holding a New York firearm, gunsmith or firearm dealer license undergo a NICS check every three or five years; and (3) the administrator of the courts establish a procedure for transmission of information about persons convicted of misdemeanor crimes of domestic violence to the NICS index. In order to help prevent thefts of weapons, it also would remove the street addresses of firearm licensees from the category of public records.SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:Section 1 of the bill would re-number the existing Article 40 of the General Business Law and add a new Article 40 entitled "Employees of Gunsmiths and Dealers in Firearms, Rifles and Shotguns." Under this article, it would be unlawful for a gun dealer - defined as a person or entity licensed as a dealer in firearms under Penal Law § 400 or pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 923 - to employ a person who would in any way handle firearms, rifles or shotguns, unless the dealer had conducted a NICS check which demonstrated that the employee's possession of such weapons would not violate federal law. Upon receipt of a favorable NICS result, the dealer would complete and file a certificate of employment with the State Police, and retain a copy of the certificate on the dealer's premises A dealer who employed someone without obtaining a favorable NICS check would be guilty of a misdemeanor.Section 2 of the bill would add a new Penal Law § 400.00(10-a) to require that any person holding a license issued pursuant to section 400.00 must be "recertified" by the licensing official upon renewal of the license or every five years, by having a NICS check conducted which demonstrates that possession of a firearm by the licensee would not violate federal law Licensing officials would have until December 1, 2014 to conduct these checks on all persons who hold licenses on the effective date of this act, pursuant to a schedule promulgated by the superintendent of state police, who would also have the authority to promulgate rules to effectuate the implementation of this new requirement. Section 3 of the bill would require the Administrator of the Courts to adopt rules to provide a procedure for transmission of information about persons convicted of misdemeanor crimes of domestic violence to the NICS index.Section 4 of the bill would remove a provision that makes the address of a gun licensee a public record.Section 5 of the bill contains the effective date.EXISTING LAW:The NICS index contains records concerning convictions, mental health adjudications and other events that may disqualify a person from purchasing a firearm, which under federal law is broadly defined to include any type of weapon which will, is designed to, or may be converted to expel a projectile by the action of an explosive. Federal Firearms Licensees (FFLs) must check the NICS index before transferring a firearm to a customer.Under Chapter 491 of the laws of 2008, the Offices of Mental Health (OMH) and Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities (OMRDD) are authorized to transmit records of mental health disqualifying events, such as involuntary commitments, to NICS. Since the effective date of this legislation, OMH has transmitted to NICS approximately 150,000 records involving involuntary commitments of approximately 75,000 people to OMH facilities between 1989 and March 31, 2009.Possession of a pistol or revolver is generally illegal in New York unless t