What's happening
This bill exempts the names of police, peace, and correction officers with firearm licenses from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Law.
Why it matters
Protects the privacy and safety of active and retired law enforcement. By exempting their names from public disclosure, the bill aims to reduce threats, harassment, or targeting of police, peace, and correction officers who are licensed to carry firearms.
Limits public access to certain government records. The legislation narrows the scope of information available under the Freedom of Information Law (FOIL), which could impact transparency and the ability of journalists or watchdog groups to scrutinize firearm licensing among law enforcement.
Maintains law enforcement oversight. The exception included in the bill allows for disclosure of this information to other law enforcement agencies if needed for investigations or prosecutions, preserving some accountability and investigatory functions.
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Who cares
Active and retired police, peace and correction officers
The bill would exempt information related to their licenses to carry or possess firearms from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Law.
Agencies holding firearm licensing records
The bill would give them a FOIL exemption for licensing information concerning these active and retired officers.
Reporters and open-government advocates
The exemption would limit access through FOIL to information about firearm licenses issued to these officers.
Law enforcement agencies
The bill would preserve disclosure of this information to them for investigations or prosecutions.
Headline styles
Shield Police Gun Permit Records
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
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
4123
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
February 1, 2019
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.
LBD04538-01-9
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.