What's happening
This bill allows county sheriffs outside New York City to issue pistol permits if they choose to become licensing officers.
Why it matters
Expands local control. By allowing county sheriffs to become licensing officers, the bill gives local communities more say in how pistol permits are issued, potentially increasing responsiveness to local needs and values.
Could affect permit processing times. If sheriffs choose to participate, residents might see faster or more accessible permit processing, especially in areas where judges or justices are less available or backlogged.
Introduces variability across counties. The optional nature means some counties may have sheriffs as licensing officers while others may not, potentially leading to differences in how permits are issued across the state.
Shifts accountability. Making sheriffs responsible for issuing permits could make the process more directly accountable to elected local officials, since sheriffs are typically elected and judges are often appointed.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Let Sheriffs Issue Pistol Permits
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
2 Co-sponsors
History
- Referred to codes
- Referred to codes
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Let Sheriffs Issue Gun Permits
In Assembly Committee · Codes · Sponsor Stephen Hawley
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
685
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE (Prefiled)
January 9, 2019
Introduced by Sen. ORTT -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Codes
AN ACT to amend the penal law, in relation to authorizing the sheriff of any county to issue pistol permits
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subdivision 10 of section 265.00 of the penal law, as amended by chapter 210 of the laws of 1999, is amended to read as follows:
10. "Licensing officer" means in the city of New York the police commissioner of that city; in the county of Nassau the commissioner of police of that county; [in the county of Suffolk the sheriff of that county except] in the towns of Babylon, Brookhaven, Huntington, Islip and Smithtown, the commissioner of police of [that] Suffolk county; for the purposes of section 400.01 of this chapter the superintendent of state police; and elsewhere in the state a judge or justice of a court of record having his office in the county of issuance. A license to carry or possess a pistol or revolver under section 400.00 of this chapter may also be issued by the sheriff of a county outside of the city of New York if such sheriff elects to become a licensing officer.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD02370-01-9
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the penal law, in relation to authorizing the sheriff of any county to issue pistol permits
Purpose or general idea of bill
This legislation allows the sheriff of any county outside of NYC to issue a license to carry or possess a pistol or revolver under section 400.00 if they so elect.
Summary of specific provisions
Section 1 allows the sheriff of any county outside of NYC to issue a license to carry or possess a pistol or revolver under section 400.00 if they so elect.
Section 2 is the effective date.
Justification
Counties across New York are facing significant backlogs as it relates to the issuance of pistol permits. Every New Yorker who applies and qualifies for a pistol permit should be issued this permit as quickly as possible. It is unacceptable that prospective legal gun owners are at the whim of bureaucracies to approve their permit before they can exer- cise their 2nd Amendment rights.
This legislation would help expedite this backlog by allowing Sheriffs to issue pistol permits as long as they so elect to do so.
Prior legislative history
2017-2018: S.908 Referred to Codes 2015-2016: S. 6828A Referred to Codes
Fiscal implications
None.
Effective date
This act shall take effect immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.