In Albany last week: Votes cast by local state lawmakers on bump stocks, waiting periods, guns in schools and more

Last week in Albany, lawmakers passed a comprehensive gun safety package that included legislation to ban bump stocks, strengthen background checks, further limit firearm possession on school grounds and to create extreme risk protection orders. 

They also passed bills tolling and extending the statute of limitations for child victims of sexual abuse and providing for an extension of time for the payment, without penalty, of real property taxes by by furloughed or designated non-pay federal employees.

Below are the bills that passed in both chambers of the State Legislature last week (Jan. 28- Feb. 1) and how our local lawmakers — State Senator Ken LaValle (R-Port Jefferson), Assembly Member Fred Thiele (I-Sag Harbor) and Assembly Member Anthony Palumbo (R-New Suffolk) — voted on them.

A01213 S02438 Requires nondomiciled N.Y. residents applying for firearms licenses to waive the confidentiality of their foreign home state mental illness records to allow the New York licensing authority to view those records.
Palumbo: Yes
Thiele: Yes
LaValle: Yes

A01715 S00101 Prohibits a school from authorizing a teacher, school administrator, or other person employed at the school who is not primarily employed as a school resource officer, police officer, peace officer, or qualified security guard to possess a weapon on school grounds.
Palumbo: No
Thiele: Yes
LaValle: Yes

A02684 S02448 Makes possession of a “rapid-fire modification device” (any bump stock, trigger crank, binary trigger system, burst trigger system, or any other device that is designed to accelerate the rate of fire of a semi-automatic firearm, rifle or shotgun) a class A misdemeanor and makes the manufacture, transport and disposition of a rapid-fire modification device a class E felony.
Palumbo: Yes
Thiele: Yes
LaValle: Yes

A02685 S02449 Establishes and funds municipal gun buyback programs to be run by police agencies and sheriffs’ departments and administered by the division of state police.
Palumbo: Yes
Thiele: Yes
LaValle: Yes

A02689 S02451 Authorizes a court to issue a temporary extreme risk protection order, ex parte or otherwise, to prohibit a person from purchasing, possessing or attempting to purchase or possess a firearm, rifle or shotgun, upon a finding that there is probable cause to believe he or she is likely to engage in conduct that would result in serious harm to himself, herself or others.
Palumbo: Yes
Thiele: Yes
LaValle: Yes

A02690 S02374 Establishes a waiting period before a firearm, shotgun or rifle may be delivered to a person; requires either the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) or its successor has issued a “proceed” response to the licensee, or 30 calendar days have elapsed since the date the licensee, seller, transferor or dealer contacted NICS to initiate a national instant criminal background check and NICS has not notified the licensee, seller, transferor or dealer that the transfer of the firearm, rifle or shotgun to such person should be denied.
Palumbo: No
Thiele: Yes
LaValle: No

A02683 S02440 Provides that the statute of limitations for criminal prosecution of a sexual offense committed against a child shall not begin to run until the child turns 23 years of age; provides that a civil action for conduct constituting a sexual offense against a child, shall be brought before the child turns 55 years of age; revives previously barred actions related to sexual abuse of children; grants civil trial preference to such actions; eliminates the notice of claim requirements for such actions when the action is brought against a municipality, the state or a school district; requires judicial training relating to child abuse and the establishment of rules relating to civil actions brought for sexual offenses committed against children.
Palumbo: Yes
Thiele: Yes
LaValle: Yes

S02523 A02852 Provides that interest and penalties shall begin to accrue if such extended taxes are not paid within 90 days following the end of a federal government shutdown. It also provides procedures for implementing the program following the expiration of the collecting officer’s warrant, if applicable.
Palumbo: Yes
Thiele: Yes
LaValle: Yes