A 7186: Requires the submission of proof of personal liability insurance prior to the issuance or renewal of a license to carry a firearm.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 7186 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN ASSEMBLY March 21, 2025 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. CHANDLER-WATERMAN -- read once and referred to the Committee on Codes AN ACT to amend the penal law, in relation to requiring proof of liabil- ity insurance prior to the issuance of a license to carry a firearm The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Subdivision 1 of section 400.00 of the penal law, as sepa- 2 rately amended by chapters 371 and 669 of the laws of 2022, is amended 3 to read as follows: 4 1. Eligibility. No license shall be issued or renewed pursuant to this 5 section except by the licensing officer, and then only after investi- 6 gation and finding that all statements in a proper application for a 7 license are true. No license shall be issued or renewed except for an 8 applicant (a) twenty-one years of age or older, provided, however, that 9 where such applicant has been honorably discharged from the United 10 States army, navy, marine corps, air force or coast guard, or the 11 national guard of the state of New York, no such age restriction shall 12 apply; (b) of good moral character, which, for the purposes of this 13 article, shall mean having the essential character, temperament and 14 judgement necessary to be entrusted with a weapon and to use it only in 15 a manner that does not endanger oneself or others; (c) who has not been 16 convicted anywhere of a felony or a serious offense or who is not the 17 subject of an outstanding warrant of arrest issued upon the alleged 18 commission of a felony or serious offense; (d) who is not a fugitive 19 from justice; (e) who is not an unlawful user of or addicted to any 20 controlled substance as defined in section 21 U.S.C. 802; (f) who being 21 a noncitizen (i) is not illegally or unlawfully in the United States or 22 (ii) has not been admitted to the United States under a nonimmigrant 23 visa subject to the exception in 18 U.S.C. 922(y)(2); (g) who has not 24 been discharged from the Armed Forces under dishonorable conditions; (h) 25 who, having been a citizen of the United States, has not renounced [his EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD08324-01-5 
 A. 7186 2 1 or her] such applicant's citizenship; (i) who has stated whether [he or 2 she] such applicant has ever suffered any mental illness; (j) who has 3 not been involuntarily committed to a facility under the jurisdiction of 4 an office of the department of mental hygiene pursuant to article nine 5 or fifteen of the mental hygiene law, article seven hundred thirty or 6 section 330.20 of the criminal procedure law or substantially similar 7 laws of any other state, section four hundred two or five hundred eight 8 of the correction law, section 322.2 or 353.4 of the family court act, 9 has not been civilly confined in a secure treatment facility pursuant to 10 article ten of the mental hygiene law, or has not been the subject of a 11 report made pursuant to section 9.46 of the mental hygiene law; (k) who 12 has not had a license revoked or who is not under a suspension or inel- 13 igibility order issued pursuant to the provisions of section 530.14 of 14 the criminal procedure law or section eight hundred forty-two-a of the 15 family court act; (l) in the county of Westchester, who has successfully 16 completed a firearms safety course and test as evidenced by a certif- 17 icate of completion issued in [his or her] such applicant's name and 18 endorsed and affirmed under the penalties of perjury by a duly author- 19 ized instructor, except that: (i) persons who are honorably discharged 20 from the United States army, navy, marine corps or coast guard, or of 21 the national guard of the state of New York, and produce evidence of 22 official qualification in firearms during the term of service are not 23 required to have completed those hours of a firearms safety course 24 pertaining to the safe use, carrying, possession, maintenance and stor- 25 age of a firearm; (ii) persons who were licensed to possess a pistol or 26 revolver prior to the effective date of this paragraph are not required 27 to have completed a firearms safety course and test, provided, however, 28 persons with a license issued under paragraph (f) of subdivision two of 29 this section prior to the effective date of [the] chapter three hundred 30 seventy-one of the laws of two thousand twenty-two [which amended this 31 paragraph] shall be required to complete the training required by subdi- 32 vision nineteen of this section prior to the recertification of such 33 license; and (iii) persons applying for a license under paragraph (f) of 34 subdivision two of this section on or after the effective date of [the] 35 chapter three hundred seventy-one of the laws of two thousand twenty-two 36 [which amended this paragraph] who shall be required to complete the 37 training required under subdivision nineteen of this section for such 38 license; (m) who has not had a guardian appointed for [him or her] such 39 applicant pursuant to any provision of state law, based on a determi- 40 nation that as a result of marked subnormal intelligence, mental 41 illness, incompetency, incapacity, condition or disease, [he or she] 42 such applicant lacks the mental capacity to contract or manage [his or 43 her] such applicant's own affairs; (n) who submits proof of personal 44 liability insurance; (o) for a license issued under paragraph (f) of 45 subdivision two of this section, that the applicant has not been 46 convicted within five years of the date of the application of any of the 47 following: (i) assault in the third degree, as defined in section 120.00 48 of this chapter; (ii) misdemeanor driving while intoxicated, as defined 49 in section eleven hundred ninety-two of the vehicle and traffic law; or 50 (iii) menacing, as defined in section 120.15 of this chapter; and [(o)] 51 (p) for a license issued under paragraph (f) of subdivision two of this 52 section, the applicant shall meet in person with the licensing officer 53 for an interview and shall, in addition to any other information or 54 forms required by the license application submit to the licensing offi- 55 cer the following information: (i) names and contact information for the 56 applicant's current spouse, or domestic partner, any other adults resid- 
 A. 7186 3 1 ing in the applicant's home, including any adult children of the appli- 2 cant, and whether or not there are minors residing, full time or part 3 time, in the applicant's home; (ii) names and contact information of no 4 less than four character references who can attest to the applicant's 5 good moral character and that such applicant has not engaged in any 6 acts, or made any statements that suggest they are likely to engage in 7 conduct that would result in harm to themselves or others; (iii) certif- 8 ication of completion of the training required in subdivision nineteen 9 of this section; (iv) a list of former and current social media accounts 10 of the applicant from the past three years to confirm the information 11 regarding the applicants character and conduct as required in subpara- 12 graph (ii) of this paragraph; and (v) such other information required by 13 the licensing officer that is reasonably necessary and related to the 14 review of the licensing application. 15 § 2. This act shall take effect on the first of November next succeed- 16 ing the date on which it shall have become a law and shall apply to 17 licenses issued or renewed on or after such date.