What's happening
This bill exempts the names of police, peace, and correction officers with firearm licenses from public disclosure under New York's Freedom of Information Law.
Why it matters
Protects personal privacy and safety. By shielding the names of current and retired police, peace, and correction officers with firearm licenses from public access, the bill aims to reduce the risk of targeted harassment, threats, or retaliation against these individuals and their families.
Alters transparency balance. While New York’s Freedom of Information Law is designed to promote government transparency, this amendment creates a specific carve-out, which could set a precedent for additional exemptions and impact how the public can scrutinize firearm licensing among law enforcement personnel.
Maintains law enforcement oversight. The bill allows law enforcement agencies continued access to this information for investigations or prosecutions, ensuring that the exemption does not hinder internal accountability or criminal inquiries involving officers.
Could affect public debate and research. Limiting access to these records may restrict journalists, researchers, and advocacy groups from analyzing patterns of firearm ownership within law enforcement, potentially affecting policy debates around gun safety and police oversight.
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Who cares
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Shield Police Gun Permit Records
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History
- Referred to governmental operations
- Referred to governmental operations
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
986
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 10, 2017
Introduced by M. of A. PRETLOW -- read once and referred to the Committee on Governmental Operations
AN ACT to amend the public officers law, in relation to exempting the disclosure, under the freedom of information law, of the name of any police officer, peace officer, correction officer, or retired police officer, peace officer or correction officer issued a license to carry or possess a firearm
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subdivision 2 of section 87 of the public officers law is amended by adding a new paragraph (p) to read as follows:
(p) is information related to the issuance, pursuant to article four hundred of the penal law, of any license to carry or possess firearms when such license is issued to a police officer, as defined in subdivision thirty-four of section 1.20 of the criminal procedure law, a peace officer, as defined in article two of the criminal procedure law, a correction officer employed by the department of corrections and community supervision or a county or city operating a local correctional facility, or any person retired from active service as a police officer, peace officer or correction officer; provided, however, that no provision of this paragraph shall be deemed to prohibit the disclosure of such information to a law enforcement agency for the purpose of conducting an investigation or prosecution.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD05160-01-7
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.