NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
 
BILL NUMBER: A2260
SPONSOR: Ortiz
 
TITLE OF BILL: An act to amend the insurance law, in relation to
requiring owners of firearms to obtain liability insurance
 
PURPOSE:
To amend the insurance law, to require firearm owners, prior to such
ownership, to obtain and continuously maintain a policy of liability
insurance to cover any damages resulting from the use of such firearm.
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Amends the insurance law by adding a new section 2353 in order to
require firearm owners to obtain and continuously maintain a policy of
liability insurance in an amount not less than two hundred fifty thou-
sand dollars. This amendment to the original bill reduces the amount of
coverage required from one million dollars to two hundred fifty thousand
dollars.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
Injury and death by guns has increasingly become a problem in New York
and around the U.S. In the wake of recent mass shooting incidents in
Aurora, Colorado and Newtown, Connecticut there has been a nationwide
attention on gun control and public safety.
According to FBI Crime Report, there were 445 firearm murders in New
York in 2011 and 517 firearm murders in 2010. However, there is little
attention on the economic impact these shootings have on the victims and
their families.
This legislation establishes and requires gun owners to obtain and main-
tain liability insurance policy prior to such ownership. By having this
insurance policy in place, innocent victims of gun-related accidents and
violence will be compensated for the medical care for their injuries.
In such cases where the gun was stolen, the original owner is typically
not liable unless the weapon was stolen through negligence on the part
of the owner.
This insurance policy will also serve as an incentive for firearm owners
to implement safety measures in order to conduct the activity as safely
as possible and only when necessary.
 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2013/14: A3908A Referred to Insurance
2015/16: A5864 Referred to Insurance
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None to the State
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall have
become law. In addition, any amendment and/or repeal of any rule or
regulation necessary for the implementation of this act on its effective
date is authorized to be made and completed on or before such date.