A bump stock ban and an extended waiting period were signed into law Monday by Gov. Cuomo, who said New York’s strong gun control laws would save lives and keep deadly weapons off the street.
The new ban takes aim at a loophole that allowed rifles to [have a higher rate of fire] and did away with an oversight that permitted buyers to buy a gun even before a federal background check was complete.
“For too long gun violence has plagued communities across our nation, and while the federal government turns a blind eye, New York continues leading the way forward to protect our families and our children,” Cuomo said.
“By signing these measures into law we are strengthening our nation-leading gun laws — banning devices whose sole purpose is to create the most bloodshed in the shortest time frame and providing law enforcement the tools they need to stop firearms from falling into dangerous hands.”
State law had required dealers to wait just three days before completing sales, even though the FBI may still have been conducting reviews of customer records.
Under the new law, a 30-day waiting period will be placed on any outstanding applications still being reviewed by the FBI.
“This law will build on our already strong gun laws by ensuring that law enforcement has sufficient time to complete a background check without impinging on the rights of law-abiding citizens,” Assemblywoman Amy Paulin (D-Westchester), the bill’s sponsor, said in a statement.
The governor also put his signature on a bill banning bump stocks.
The device gained notoriety in 2017 after a gunman used the attachment during a mass shooting in Las Vegas that killed 58 people who had crowded into a parking lot for an outdoor concert.
“There is absolutely no need for military-grade weaponry on the streets nor homes of New York,” said Sen. Luis Sepulveda (D-Bronx), who sponsored that bill.
The new law comes a day after a 19-year-old gunman opened fire on the crowd at the outdoor Gilroy Garlic Festival in Northern California with a semiautomatic assault rifle, killing three people, including a 6-year-old boy and 13-year-old girl, and wounding at least a dozen others, authorities said.
Suspected shooter Santino Legan, who was fatally shot by police officers at the festival, had legally bought the weapon rifle three weeks ago in Nevada, officials said. The motive for the attack is under investigation.
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