Senate Bill S2422

                                
 
BILL NUMBER: S2422A

SPONSOR: KAPLAN
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the general business law, in relation to manufacturers'
reporting requirements for the sale or distribution of firearms

 
PURPOSE:

To require manufacturers of firearms sold in New York to report to the
Department of Criminal Justice Services the number of firearms they
manufacture and sell on an annual basis.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

The general business law is amended by adding a new article 39-DDDD.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

              

Currently there are no federal rules or laws requiring that firearms
manufacturers report how many firearms they make and sell. The lack of
recorded data has left discrepancies in the accuracy of the statistics
available. Many companies report weapons production in one year, and
then disappear from the ATF data record as if they had ceased oper-
ations, only to reappear in later years. Having a statistical under-
standing with regards to how many firearms are lawfully produced and
lawfully sold in the state of New York will result in an increased
awareness of how many firearms are entering the state every year and how
many are being distributed to licensed dealers and private sellers.
"Though New York has some of the strongest gun laws in the nation, those
who can't legally purchase guns in the state based on age or criminal
background often turn to the black market ... Nearly 70 percent of the
8,439 firearms recovered in New York in 2013 came from out of state,
according to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Many of them were acquired legally in Southern states with looser gun
laws and smuggled north through the 1-95 corridor, known as the 'iron.
pipeline." (Albany Times Union, 7/14/15). This legislation will empower
New York law enforcement to determine whether all of the firearms manu-
factured by a particular company are actually sold through legal chan-
nels. The danger posed to our citizens in the event that any number of
such firearms are legally manufactured and not legally sold or distrib-
uted (and therefore adding to black market inventory) is painfully obvi-
ous.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

To be determined.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

A. 4456 of 2017/2018, Referred to Commerce.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.