ALBANY, N.Y. (Jun. 15) — New York State Senators Zellnor Myrie (D–Brooklyn) and Patricia Fahy (D–Albany) released the following statement upon news that the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) declined to hear challenges to their nation-leading ‘Gun Industry Liability Law.’

“Today's decision is a significant victory for New Yorkers across our state and for every family that has been impacted by gun violence. The Supreme Court's refusal to hear the challenge to our nation-leading Gun Industry Liability Law means our state's public nuisance law will still hold that gun manufacturers and dealers can be held accountable when they fail to take reasonable steps to keep firearms out of the hands of traffickers and criminals. Since our bill was signed into law in 2021, ten other states have followed our lead and passed similar laws to protect their residents.

New York has some of the strongest gun safety laws in the nation, yet we continue to pay the price for weaker laws elsewhere. Nearly 75% of guns used in crimes recovered in New York originate from out of state, and nearly 9 in 10 handguns recovered by law enforcement come from outside our borders, flowing north along the 'Iron Pipeline' from states with lax gun laws. In 2023 alone, more than 11,400 firearms were recovered and traced in New York, with states like Georgia, Virginia, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Florida among the leading sources of those weapons. 

Today's decision sends a clear message: gun manufacturers and dealers have a responsibility to help prevent illegal weapons from fueling violence in our neighborhoods by keeping them out of the wrong hands.

We will continue to lead on commonsense gun action and continue working to ensure that New York families and communities are protected from the scourge and epidemic of preventable gun violence."