New York Gun Laws, The state Assembly was set to vote Tuesday on a bill that would make New York the first state to enact tighter restrictions on guns since the Newtown, Conn., massacre. Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo unveiled his proposal to change New York’s gun laws late Monday. His bill includes an immediate ban on semi-automatic rifles and pistols with a “military-style feature,” such as a flash suppressor or a bayonet mount.
The Senate — controlled by a coalition of Republicans and breakaway Democrats – passed Cuomo’s bill by a wide margin after 11 p.m. Monday. Democrats hold a strong majority in the Assembly.
Cuomo praised the Senate for “coming together in a bipartisan, collaborative manner to meet the challenges that face our state and our nation, as we have seen far too many senseless acts of gun violence.”
The legislation, known as the NY SAFE Act, includes a ban on magazines that hold more than seven rounds and requires universal background checks for all gun sales, regardless if they are private, person-to-person sales.
It also includes stricter penalties for firearm-related crimes, including a “Webster provision,” a life-without-parole prison sentence for anyone who murders a first responder. The provision is named after the Monroe County town where a pair of firefighters were shot and killed on Christmas Eve.
The assault-weapons and magazine bans would take effect as soon the bill is passed and signed by Cuomo.