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S1455Senate2025-2026 SessionSame asA1191

Study Personalized Smart Guns

Official title

“Requires the division of criminal justice services to study the technological viability of personalized firearms”

Sponsor Brian KavanaghSD-27+1 co-sponsorAffects Finance
Status
Senate Floor Calendar
Impact
4/10
Low
Passage
38%

Bill progress

Step 3 of 7

Floor calendar · Jun 4

What's happening

This bill requires New York's Division of Criminal Justice Services to study and report on the technological viability of personalized firearms.

Why it matters

  1. Establishes clear definitions for “personalized firearms” and “authorized users,”. laying groundwork for future legal and regulatory efforts regarding smart gun technology and its deployment in New York.

  2. Initiates a formal state-led evaluation of personalized firearm technology,. requiring the Division of Criminal Justice Services to assess performance standards, qualifying criteria, and testing protocols—potentially influencing future regulations or adoption.

  3. Mandates an official report to top state government leaders,. ensuring that findings about the viability and availability of smart guns are communicated directly to policymakers, which could inform legislative or law enforcement decision-making.

  4. Could impact public safety debates and policy by providing objective data,. supplying lawmakers and the public with a clearer understanding of whether smart guns are a realistic option for reducing unauthorized firearm use or accidental shootings.

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Who cares

  • Division of Criminal Justice Services

    The division or its designee would have two years to complete a study describing performance standards, qualifying criteria and testing protocols for personalized firearms and identifying qualifying makes and models.

  • Likely concerns

    Pistol and revolver manufacturers

    The study would assess technology designed to resist firing by unauthorized users and identify which makes and models qualify as personalized firearms.

  • Firearm owners and authorized users

    The study would examine firearms designed to fire only when activated by the lawful owner or someone the owner authorizes.

  • Governor and legislative leaders

    The division would report its findings to the governor and the majority and minority leaders specified for each legislative chamber.

Headline styles

Study Personalized Smart Guns

Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.

Sponsors

Primary sponsor
Brian Kavanagh

Senator · Senate District 27

Chair, Housing, Construction And Community Development

1 Co-sponsor

History

  1. Substituted by A1191B
  2. Ordered to third reading cal.1702
  3. Committee discharged and committed to rules
  4. Print number 1455b
  5. Amend and recommit to finance
  6. Reported and committed to finance
  7. Referred to codes
  8. Returned to senate
  9. Died in assembly
  10. Referred to ways and means
  11. Delivered to assembly
  12. Passed senateVote 40–19
Show 6 earlier actions
  1. Ordered to third reading cal.1800
  2. Committee discharged and committed to rules
  3. Print number 1455a
  4. Amend (t) and recommit to finance
  5. Reported and committed to finance
  6. 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.

A1191Assembly

Study Personalized Gun Technology

Passed Senate · Sponsor Alex Bores

Impact 4 · Low45% to pass

Full text

2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗

STATE OF NEW YORK

1455--B

2025-2026 Regular Sessions

IN SENATE

January 10, 2025

Introduced by Sens. KAVANAGH, FERNANDEZ -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Codes -reported favorably from said committee and committed to the Committee on Finance -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee -- recommitted to the Committee on Codes in accordance with Senate Rule 6, sec. 8 -reported favorably from said committee and committed to the Committee on Finance -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee

AN ACT to amend the executive law, in relation to requiring the division of criminal justice services to study the technological viability of personalized firearms

The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:

Section 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "safer weapons, safer homes act".

§ 2. Section 835 of the executive law is amended by adding two new subdivisions 12 and 13 to read as follows:

12. "Personalized firearm" means a pistol or revolver that incorporates within its design a permanent programmable feature as part of its manufacture that cannot be deactivated and renders it reasonably resistant to being fired except when activated by the lawful owner or other user authorized by the lawful owner.

13. "Authorized user" means the owner of a personalized firearm or a person to whom such owner has given consent to use the personalized firearm.

§ 3. The executive law is amended by adding a new section 838-c to read as follows:

§ 838-c. Personalized firearms; study of technological viability. 1. As used in this section, the terms "personalized firearm" and "authorized user" shall have the same meanings as defined in subdivisions

EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets

[ ] is old law to be omitted.

LBD02280-05-6

twelve and thirteen, respectively, of section eight hundred thirty-five of this article.

2. The division or a designee shall within two years of the effective date of this section engage in and complete a study that describes performance standards, qualifying criteria, and testing protocols necessary to determine the technological viability of personalized firearms and identifies by make and model firearms that qualify as personalized firearms.

3. The division shall report the results of the study completed pursuant to subdivision two of this section to the governor, the temporary president and minority leader of the senate, and the speaker and minority leader of the assembly.

§ 4. This act shall take effect immediately.

Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.

Sponsor's memo

Title of bill

An act to amend the executive law, in relation to requiring the division of criminal justice services to study the technological viability of personalized firearms

Purpose or general idea of bill

Amend the executive law to define performance standards, qualifying criteria, and testing protocols necessary to determine the technological viability of personalized firearms and identify by make and model firearms that qualify as personalized firearms.

Summary of provisions

Section one of the bill sets forth that this act shall be known and may be cited as the "safer weapons, safer homes act".

Section two of the bill amends section 835 of the executive law to define a personalized handgun and authorized user.

Section three of the bill amends the executive law by adding a new section 838-c that would require the division of criminal justice to, within two years, establish performance standards and testing protocols for personalized handguns. It would also identify by make and model firearms that qualify under the definition of personalized firearms. Additionally, the division must report the results of the completed study to the governor, temporary president and minority leader of the senate, and the speaker and minority leader of the assembly.

Section four of the bill sets forth the effective date.

Justification

Personalized firearms have the potential to stem violence and ensure the safety of New Yorkers. Violence from accidental gun discharge causes incredible harm with more than 300 children unintentionally shooting themselves or someone else each year. In 2020, this resulted in the deaths of over 120 people. Personalized handguns would stop children from being able to shoot guns that are left out or improperly stored. This would help prevent school shootings as well, as most shootings have followed the shooter taking the weapon from their or a neighbor's home. Moreover, approximately 380,000 guns are stolen from owners each year. Personalized handguns would prevent those weapons from being used in other crimes or against their owners.

This bill will provide New Yorkers with information that will help them to decide whether a personalized firearm is the right choice.

Prior legislative history

2024: S7802A (Kavanagh) - REPORTED AND COMMITTED TO FINANCE /A8333A (Bores) passed assembly

2023: S7802A (Kavanagh) - REFERRED TO RULES /A8333A (Bores) - referred to codes

Fiscal implications for state and local governments

Minimal.

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.