The New York chapter of Moms Demand Action, a grassroots initiative of Everytown for Gun Safety, released the following statement applauding the New York State Assembly for passing three gun safety bills, including a bill that will help hold the gun industry accountable for negligence and unlawful practices and two bills to keep New Yorkers safe from the rising threat of ghost guns. A6762B is a first-in-the-nation bill that would provide victims of gun violence and state authorities a path to hold bad actors in the gun industry accountable for their role in driving the epidemic of gun violence. Together, S 14.A and S.13A would comprehensively regulate ghost guns—untraceable, unserialized firearms that pose an increasing threat to the safety of New Yorkers. All three bills, having previously passed in the Senate, will be sent to Governor Cuomo’s desk for signature.
“The New York State Assembly understands that our gun violence crisis demands common-sense, evidence-based action, and we are extremely pleased that they have taken that action today, and are once again leading the nation on gun safety,” said Barry Graubart, a volunteer with the New York chapter of Moms Demand Action. “These bills are a big deal. Not only do they prohibit the possession and sale of ghost guns—our nation’s fastest growing gun safety crisis—but they’ve created what should be a national model for finally holding gun manufacturers and dealers accountable for their misconduct and negligence. We are hopeful that Governor Cuomo will continue his commitment to promoting gun safety and sign these bills into law.”
About the Bills:
- A6762B, would create a path to holding the gun industry accountable for its illegal or unreasonable conduct. For nearly two decades, a federal law known as the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (“PLCAA”) has shielded bad actors in the gun industry from most lawsuits that would hold them accountable for their role in fueling the epidemic of gun violence. This bill would allow victims of gun violence and other state authorities to file suit against manufacturers, wholesalers and dealers whose unlawful or unreasonable conduct results in harm in New York or who fail to take reasonable steps to keep their products out of the hands of people who shouldn’t have them.
- S.14A, known as the Jose Webster Untraceable Firearms Act, and S.13A, known as the Scott J. Beigel Unfinished Receiver Act, would generally prohibit the possession and sale of unserialized ghost guns and of unfinished frames and receivers, the building blocks used to make ghost guns, which are widely available online and can be purchased without a background check.
The Assembly is also expected to pass S.7226 later this week, which would require all newly manufactured handguns sold in New York to be equipped with microstamping technology, a technology that imprints identifying markings on shell casings, making it easier to solve gun homicides and assaults.