Ammunition limits bills signed into N.Y. law
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A pair of firearm-related bills have been signed into law by Gov. Kathy Hochul in recent days.
Francesco’s Law (A.1962/S.6233) was signed into law Wednesday by Hochul. The Assembly passed Francesco’s Law in 2025, but the bill died in the state Senate. The Assembly passed the 2026 version of the bill (A.1962) recently and sent the bill to the state Senate again for consideration. The Assembly vote was 88-47, largely along party lines, with Assemblyman Andrew Molitor, R-Westfield, and Assemblyman Joe Sempolinski, R-Canisteo, voting against the measure. The state Senate approved Francesco’s Law by a 41-20 vote with state Sen. George Borrello, R-Sunset Bay, voting against it.
“Francesco didn’t have the opportunity to live to the age of 18 and as it's so painful that we even have to be here to pass this particular piece of legislation just as we did last year in his memory,” said Assemblyman Khaleel Anderson, D-Far Rockaway, in his comments on the bill in May. “I'm reminded that more than half of gun owners do not practice safe storage and it's important that we know that states with strong safe storage laws a 12% reduction in youth firearm suicides. Gun suicides rates have been increasing among young people and so with this particular piece of legislation I’m sure that we can bring New York to the gold standard. I think that this piece of legislation accomplishes that end in regard to supporting those efforts.”
Anderson's bill amends the state Penal Law to add a section making it a Class A misdemeanor for failure to safely store rifles, shotguns or firearms when accessible by a minor or prohibited person. It also requires a person to receive safe storage materials when the person violates the state's safe firearm storage laws and requires data to be collected related to injuries or deaths of minors resulting from failure to safely store a firearm, rifle, or shotgun.
Francesco’s Law actually lost five votes from its 2025 Assembly passage. The legislation has been changed from the 2025 version by removing several proposed offenses and then adding the reporting requirements.
Assemblyman Joe Angelino, R-Binghamton, was among the Republicans who spoke against Francesco’s Law on the Assembly floor. He repeated his opposition from the 2025 vote, saying there are many practical uses of firearms where they can’t be safely stored, largely by farmers he said typically keep long guns in their barns or tractors in order to ward off predators attacking livestock.
“I'll say just a couple of days ago in Massachusetts, one of the states that is known for strict gun regulations, did have a self-defense issue with a person who was in public shooting people and killing them,” Angelino said, noting the time it took for the Marine veteran to ready himself to respond. “A person who stopped it had to go to the trunk of his car and get his weapon out of there because he wasn't allowed to carry it. And, after getting it out he had to go to a separate location to get the ammunition and then he stopped somebody in the act.”
Hochul also signed legislation (A.7983/S.7236) passed in a largely party line vote in the Assembly and with some bipartisan support in the state Senate that will ban the sale of firearm ammunition if a person is legally unable to purchase a gun.
The 89-45 vote in the Assembly included votes against the proposal from Assemblymen Andrew Molitor, R-Westfield, and Joe Sempolinski, R-Canisteo. The legislation is sponsored by Assemblyman Jeff Dinowitz, D-Bronx. A version of similar legislation (S.9750) passed the state Senate in 2024. The current version (S.7236) was passed by a 49-11 vote. State Sen. George Borrello, R-Sunset Bay, was excused from the vote.
Dinowitz proposes adding a subdivision to the state Penal Law to require ammunition background checks to be denied if the prospective purchaser cannot lawfully possess a rifle or shotgun under federal or New York state law. Under current state law, the only limits on ammunition possession are found in federal law. Dinowitz said during floor debate that the federal list of prohibitions is lengthy. That means ammunition purchases are only screened against the federal criteria for possessing firearms and ammunition, and not the additional New York-specific prohibitors that apply to firearms, including whether or not a person is subject to an Extreme Risk Protection Order, or red flag order, or has been convicted of a "serious offense" as listed in the state’s penal law. Dinowitz said the legislation aligns state laws for who is permitted to take possession of both guns and ammunition, so that the same criteria is used to screen purchasers of guns and ammunition.
“I would consider this a way to make very clear what we want to accomplish,” Dinowitz said. “Which is that people who shouldn’t be able to purchase ammunition won’t purchase ammunition.”
Republicans asked if there were any exemptions from the legislation and asked if there was a penalty for someone who can’t buy ammunition to possess ammunition. Republican Brian Mantkelow, R-Lyons, protested the bill on Second Amendment grounds while Assemblywoman Jodi Giglio, R-Riverhead, said it’s possible the legislation could violate a deputizing provision included in legislation passed recently that limits cooperation with federal immigration enforcement actions. Assemblywoman Andrea Bailey, R-Avon, asked what is being added to the list of prohibitions on ammunition purchases, with the major change being limits on those with extreme risk protection orders. Bailey also asked if the State Police can already deny an ammunition purchase based on the issuance of an extreme risk protection order while also questioning the number of times individuals who would be prohibited from purchasing ammunition now have actually purchased ammunition.
Hochul also signed into law legislation to quadruple New York State’s personal income tax credit for eligible volunteer firefighters and ambulance workers, providing financial relief to first responders who dedicate their time to protecting communities across the state. A.6790-A/S.6233-A increases the annual personal income tax credit from $200 to $800 for individuals and from $400 to $1,600 for married couples. The increased credit will apply beginning in tax year 2027, allowing eligible New Yorkers to claim the benefit when filing their taxes in 2028. Under the new law, eligible volunteer firefighters and ambulance workers may claim either the increased state income tax credit or a qualifying local property tax exemption.
The bill was passed unanimously by both houses of the legislature.
"Keeping New York safe and affordable is my highest priority. Today, I'm proud to sign into law a bill that recognizes the sacrifices that all volunteer firefighters and ambulance workers make," Hochul said. "These brave New Yorkers put their lives on the line to protect their neighbors, often sacrificing time with their families and loved ones. This tax credit puts more money back in their pockets and shows our appreciation for the lifesaving services they provide every day."