EXPLAINER: What does the gun reform legislation that Congress passed mean for New Yorkers?
Congress passed its first new federal restrictions on guns in nearly three decades on Friday, taking action after mass shootings in Uvalde, Texas and Buffalo, New York.
Here’s what the landmark vote to approve the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act means for the Empire State.
People gather at a memorial for the shooting victims outside of Tops market in Buffalo, New York on May 20, 2022. (Spencer Platt/)
Q: Will the law make it tougher to buy an AR-15 or similar assault weapon in New York?
No. The law imposes modestly tougher background checks for those under 21 who want to buy the preferred weapon for mass killings. But New York recently passed a new law that bars anyone under 21 from buying the fast-firing weapons, so that provision would have no impact on the state.
Q: Will New Yorkers with criminal records for domestic violence record find it harder to buy guns?
Not really. Again, New York already had stricter gun laws covering those with criminal records or restraining orders against them. The new law could make it tougher for them to cross state lines and buy guns.
Q: Will New York cops find it easier to seize guns from those undergoing mental health crises?
Hopefully. New York lawmakers recently tightened the state’s so-called “red-flag law” to require, rather than just allow, law enforcement to seek a gun-confiscation order if credible information is provided. The federal bill also offers funds that New York could obtain to bolster its law.
Q: How did New York lawmakers vote on the bill?
All Democrats voted in favor of the measure. Somewhat surprisingly, Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-N.Y.), the only GOP lawmaker from the city, voted no, handing a potentially potent issue to challenger ex-Rep. Max Rose (D-N.Y.) in the November general election.
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Upstate Republicans Rep. Chris Jacobs and John Katko broke ranks with the GOP to support it. Both are retiring and Jacobs recently announced he would not run again after his support for gun restrictions sparked a major grassroots backlash from gun fans.
Q: Will gun-rights advocates challenge the new law?
Bet on it. Second Amendment purists are on a roll and will surely seek an audience with the conservative majority on the Supreme Court that sees almost no room for restrictions on guns in the Constitution.
Q: What other rules to prevent mass killings does New York have that the feds don’t?
A recently passed state law bans the sale of body armor to anyone without a valid reason, such as law enforcement. Crazed killers often use armor to protect themselves during massacres so they can kill as many victims as possible.
The state mandates micro-stamping of bullets, which can help law-enforcement track criminals.
Social media companies have to update policies for restricting and reporting of hateful conduct on their platforms, which are often early warning signs of mass killings in the works.
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Q: Will the law make New York City streets safer?
Maybe. Although the changes are modest, anti-gun violence advocates say any changes that make it harder for would-be killers to arm themselves are welcome.
And since the vast majority of guns used in crime in New York are bought outside the state and illegally brought into the Big Apple, changes outside the state have a big impact on gun violence in the five boroughs.
Q: Does the new law do anything to roll back the Supreme Court’s ruling to overturn New York’s century-old law requiring a permit for concealed carry of handguns in public?
No, it does not.
