Hochul Signs Two Gun Safety Laws on Ammunition Background Checks and Safe Storage
New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed two gun safety bills on the evening of October 21 at the annual gala of New Yorkers Against Gun Violence. The signing fell on the fifth anniversary of the death of Francesco, a 17-year-old who took his own life after accessing an improperly stored hunting rifle; the safe-storage law bears his name.
The first measure, A.1962-B/S.9629 — the Francesco Act — requires gun owners to keep firearms in locked containers when not in use and stiffens penalties when minors or unlicensed people access improperly stored guns, closing a gap that had exempted households without children or prohibited persons. The second, S.7236/A.7943, aligns background checks for ammunition purchases with those for firearms, making clear that people barred from possessing rifles or shotguns, or subject to temporary or extreme risk protection orders, may not buy ammunition.
Hochul said keeping New Yorkers safe is her top priority and the changes are meant to keep guns and ammunition away from people who should not have them. Francesco's mother founded a foundation after her son's 2021 death and has championed safe-storage legislation. The governor's office said Hochul has invested nearly $4 billion in public safety since taking office.
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：纽约州议会大厦（Albany）。摄影：Beyond My Ken，CC BY-SA 4.0（Wikimedia Commons）。Photo: the New York State Capitol in Albany. Photo by Beyond My Ken, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons).
