S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
1627
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
I N A S S E M B L Y
January 12, 2017
___________
Introduced by M. of A. ZEBROWSKI, JAFFEE, GALEF, STIRPE, BRINDISI,
SKOUFIS, RAIA, CURRAN, GOODELL, CROUCH, BARRETT, OAKS, BRABENEC --
Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. BARCLAY, COLTON, HIKIND, KOLB, LOPEZ,
LUPINACCI, MAGEE, McKEVITT, RA, RIVERA, THIELE -- read once and
referred to the Committee on Codes
AN ACT to amend the penal law, in relation to prohibiting the state
police from imposing a fee or surcharge for recertification of certain
gun licenses
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Paragraph (b) of subdivision 10 and subdivision 16-a of
section 400.00 of the penal law, as added by chapter 1 of the laws of
2013, and paragraph (a-1) of subdivision 16-a as added by chapter 98 of
the laws of 2013, are amended to read as follows:
(b) All licensees shall be recertified to the division of state police
every five years thereafter. Any license issued before the effective
date of [the] chapter ONE of the laws of two thousand thirteen [which
added this paragraph] shall be recertified by the licensee on or before
January thirty-first, two thousand eighteen, and not less than one year
prior to such date, the state police shall send a notice to all license
holders who have not recertified by such time. Such recertification
shall be in a form as approved by the superintendent of state police,
which shall request the license holder's name, date of birth, gender,
race, residential address, social security number, firearms possessed by
such license holder, email address at the option of the license holder
and an affirmation that such license holder is not prohibited from
possessing firearms. The form may be in an electronic form if so desig-
nated by the superintendent of state police. THE STATE POLICE SHALL NOT
IMPOSE A FEE OR SURCHARGE ON A LICENSE HOLDER FOR RECERTIFICATION. Fail-
ure to recertify shall act as a revocation of such license. If the New
York state police discover as a result of the recertification process
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD04382-01-7
A. 1627 2
that a licensee failed to provide a change of address, the New York
state police shall not require the licensing officer to revoke such
license.
16-a. Registration. (a) An owner of a weapon defined in paragraph (e)
or (f) of subdivision twenty-two of section 265.00 of this chapter,
possessed before the date of the effective date of [the] chapter ONE of
the laws of two thousand thirteen [which added this paragraph], must
make an application to register such weapon with the superintendent of
state police, in the manner provided by the superintendent, or by amend-
ing a license issued pursuant to this section within one year of the
effective date of this subdivision except any weapon defined under
subparagraph (vi) of paragraph (g) of subdivision twenty-two of section
265.00 of this chapter transferred into the state may be registered at
any time, provided such weapons are registered within thirty days of
their transfer into the state. Registration information shall include
the registrant's name, date of birth, gender, race, residential address,
social security number and a description of each weapon being regis-
tered. A registration of any weapon defined under subparagraph (vi) of
paragraph (g) of subdivision twenty-two of section 265.00 or a feeding
device as defined under subdivision twenty-three of section 265.00 of
this chapter shall be transferable, provided that the seller notifies
the state police within seventy-two hours of the transfer and the buyer
provides the state police with information sufficient to constitute a
registration under this section. Such registration shall not be valid if
such registrant is prohibited or becomes prohibited from possessing a
firearm pursuant to state or federal law. The superintendent shall
determine whether such registrant is prohibited from possessing a
firearm under state or federal law. Such check shall be limited to
determining whether the factors in 18 USC 922 (g) apply or whether a
registrant has been convicted of a serious offense as defined in subdi-
vision [sixteen-b] SEVENTEEN of section 265.00 of this chapter, so as to
prohibit such registrant from possessing a firearm, and whether a report
has been issued pursuant to section 9.46 of the mental hygiene law. All
registrants shall recertify to the division of state police every five
years thereafter. Failure to recertify shall result in a revocation of
such registration. THE STATE POLICE SHALL NOT IMPOSE A FEE OR SURCHARGE
ON A PERSON WHO IS REGISTERING OR RECERTIFYING A WEAPON PURSUANT TO THIS
SECTION.
(a-1) Notwithstanding any inconsistent provisions of paragraph (a) of
this subdivision, an owner of an assault weapon as defined in subdivi-
sion twenty-two of section 265.00 of this chapter, who is a qualified
retired New York or federal law enforcement officer as defined in subdi-
vision twenty-five of section 265.00 of this chapter, where such weapon
was issued to or purchased by such officer prior to retirement and in
the course of his or her official duties, and for which such officer was
qualified by the agency that employed such officer within twelve months
prior to his or her retirement, must register such weapon within sixty
days of retirement.
(b) The superintendent of state police shall create and maintain an
internet website to educate the public as to which semiautomatic rifle,
semiautomatic shotgun or semiautomatic pistol or weapon that are illegal
as a result of the enactment of [the] chapter ONE of the laws of two
thousand thirteen [which added this paragraph], as well as such assault
weapons which are illegal pursuant to article two hundred sixty-five of
this chapter. Such website shall contain information to assist the
public in recognizing the relevant features proscribed by such article
A. 1627 3
two hundred sixty-five, as well as which make and model of weapons that
require registration.
(c) A person who knowingly fails to apply to register such weapon, as
required by this section, within one year of the effective date of [the]
chapter ONE of the laws of two thousand thirteen [which added this para-
graph] shall be guilty of a class A misdemeanor and such person who
unknowingly fails to validly register such weapon within such one year
period shall be given a warning by an appropriate law enforcement
authority about such failure and given thirty days in which to apply to
register such weapon or to surrender it. A failure to apply or surrender
such weapon within such thirty-day period shall result in such weapon
being removed by an appropriate law enforcement authority and declared a
nuisance.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.