Bankruptcy and Bureaucracy

A new legislative session has begun in Albany and the leftist gun grabbers have wasted no time in introducing bills aimed at neutering the 2nd Amendment.  Since there is no chance the 2nd Amendment will be repealed, one of the left’s many strategies is to make getting and keeping a firearm so bureaucratic and expensive that ordinary citizens will give up out of frustration or the lack of money.

The 2nd Amendment is the only constitutionally protected right where one has to get a license and pay a fee in order to exercise that right.

Below are four bills that have recently been introduced which are aimed at burying gun owners in bureaucracy and bankruptcy.  Those starting with ‘A’ are Assembly bills and those starting with ‘S’ are Senate bills.  Where two bill numbers are given, the same bill has been introduced in both the NY Senate and Assembly.

S658 and A4085

No person shall possess a firearm unless such person holds a firearms safety certificate issued pursuant to this section.  To get a firearms safety certificate, one must take: 5 hours of classroom instruction and a test; 2 hours of live fire instruction and a test; demonstrate safe handling on a test.

A fee may be charged for administrative purposes.

Valid for a period of two years, and may be renewed upon completion (again) of all the requirements of this section.

A360

Requires a person to apply for a hunting license prior to the purchase of a shotgun or rifle.

Establishes additional requirements for all firearms, shotguns and rifles including taking a five hours gun safety course and exam, passing a shooting range test with 90% accuracy, providing notarized proof of a passed drug test and mental health evaluation, providing proof of purchase of firearm and ammunition safe storage depositories and passing a criminal background check.

S5813

Commencing July 1st, 2026, an excise tax is imposed upon licensed dealers in firearms, firearms manufacturers, and sellers of ammunition, at the rate of eleven percent of the gross receipts from the retail sale in this state of any firearm, major component of a firearm, or ammunition.

A3376

Requires liability insurance (unnamed amount) for owners of firearms, rifles and shotguns.