New York first state to implement new gun control laws in US

New York: New York today became the first state in the US to take steps to enact tough new laws to confront growing gun violence in schools in the country, by imposing new restrictions on assault weapons.

The state senate voted overwhelmingly in favour of a legislation that seeks to expand a ban on assault weapons and prevent the mentally ill from possessing guns making it the first state to put in place “toughest, most comprehensive” gun laws in the aftermath of the mass shooting in a Connecticut elementary school.

The state senate passed the NY Secure Ammunition and Firearms Enforcement Act (NY SAFE) with a 43 to 18 vote. The bill now goes to the lower house of the state for ratification.

The moves by one of America’s most populous states came as media reports said that President Barack Obama was contemplating new steps to curb gun violence nationwide without having to seek approval of the Congress.

“The Senators that voted for the NY SAFE Act of 2013 made a bold statement, 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,” New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said.

The legislation aims to protect New Yorkers by reducing the availability of assault weapons and deterring the criminal use of firearms “while promoting a fair, consistent and efficient method of ensuring that sportsmen and other legal gun owners have full enjoyment of the guns to which they are entitled.”

The new gun rules would provide the “toughest, most comprehensive and balanced answer” in the nation to gun violence.

The new restrictions on assault weapons comes a month after a 20-year-old man used a rifle to kill 26 people, including kindergarten children in an elementary school in Connecticut.

The tragic incident capped a year when gunmen unleashed mayhem across the US, killing innocent and unsuspecting people in a movie theatre and places of worship. Through this legislation, New York would become the first state in the nation to completely ban all high-capacity magazines.

It also bans any magazine that holds more than seven rounds, instead of the current limit of ten. Emphasis would also be laid on those buying weapons and ammunition, with provisions for closely tracking ammunition purchases in real time to permit alerts on high volume buyers, while checking on the buyer’s background.

A statewide database would also guard against the “dangerous or unstable” possessing guns. New rules would close a loophole that excludes private sales of guns from a federal background check and tighten provisions governing gun ownership by persons with serious mental illness.

Gun owners who live with someone convicted of certain crimes or who suffers from a result of a mental illness, would be required to ensure safe storage of their weapons.

The bill also creates new and enhanced penalties for illegal gun use, and enhances protections for victims of domestic violence by requiring firearm surrenders and gun license suspension and revocation in cases where an order of protection has been issued.

PTI