Assemblywoman Jean-Pierre Takes Action to Protect Long Island from Gun Violence
Assemblywoman Kimberly Jean-Pierre (D-Babylon) announced that she helped pass legislation to prevent gun violence and protect Long Islanders. The legislative package includes measures to ban bump stocks and prevent individuals deemed a danger to themselves or others from possessing or purchasing firearms.
“As a mother, our kids’ safety is my top concern,” Jean-Pierre said. “The fear of another mass shooting is a scary but very real threat that we must take seriously. Too many precious lives have been stolen already. We need to keep guns out of the wrong hands and ensure civilians don’t have access to military-grade weapons.”
One measure prohibits the possession, manufacture, transport, shipment and sale of devices that accelerate the firing rate of firearms, including trigger cranks and bump-fire devices, commonly known as bump stocks (A.9958). This type of rifle modification enabled a single gunman to fire more than 1,000 rounds in less than 10 minutes, killing 58 people and injuring over 500 during the October 2017 concert shooting in Las Vegas.1 ,2 ,3 Under current New York State law, these devices are illegal; however, there is no restriction on their sale or possession when they are not attached to a firearm.
“Machine guns can cause horrific levels of violence – that’s why they are illegal in New York,” Jean-Pierre said. “This legislation prevents individuals from creating their own and committing unspeakable acts of devastation.”
Additional legislation was passed to keep guns out of the hands of domestic abusers (A.5025) and those who pose a serious threat to themselves or others in order to help prevent suicides, fatal domestic violence incidents and possible mass shootings. The bill allows the courts to issue a restraining order, known as an “extreme risk protection order,” temporarily prohibiting a person who exhibits serious signs of being a threat to themselves or others (A.8976-B).
Further, legislation was passed to establish a waiting period of up to10 days – instead of the current three days – before a gun may be delivered to a purchaser whose background check is not completed (A.2406). This would give the FBI more time to investigate a potential purchaser whose background check raises red flags.
Another measure passed by the Assembly requires out-of-state citizens who also have homes in New York to waive the confidentiality of their home state mental illness records when applying for a firearm here (A.9978). Closing this dangerous loophole will ensure that individuals trying to buy guns in New York don’t sidestep our protections, Jean-Pierre said.
“Our children and families deserve to live in a world without fear of being shot at school, church, the mall or anywhere else,” Jean-Pierre said. “Women deserve to live in a world where they don’t fear for their lives at the hands of abusers. Let’s stand together and demand a better and safer society for all.”
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2 latimes.com/nation/la-na-vegas-shooting-timeline-revised-20171009-story.html
3 newsweek.com/las-vegas-gunman-fired-1100-bullets-during-shooting-new-forensic-report-finds-723311