Kaplan’s background check bill signed by Cuomo

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Kaplan’s background check bill signed by Cuomo
State Sen. Anna Kaplan's bill on background checks for out-of-state gun buyers was signed into law on Sept. 3. (Photo by Janelle Clausen)

A bill co-sponsored by state Sen. Anna Kaplan (D-Great Neck) that requires out-of-state firearm buyers to submit to mental health background checks was signed into law on Tuesday by Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

The bill was one of two proposed gun control measures signed by Cuomo on Tuesday, the other being a bill allowing police to get access to gun ownership records of possible suspects.

Kaplan’s bill would require part-time New York residents applying for firearm permits to sign a confidential waiver to allow state authorities to contact their primary state of residence for the applicant’s mental health records. It passed 62 to 1 in the state Senate.

“This bill closes a dangerous loophole in our gun license background check process, ensuring that part-time New York residents buying a gun receive the same thorough review as full-time residents,” Kaplan said in a statement issued by her office.

The measures come one month after fatal mass shootings in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, on Aug. 3 and 4, and only four days after 25 people were injured and 8 killed in a shooting in Odessa, Texas, on Aug. 31.

“Our nation is plagued by an epidemic of gun violence that demands our full attention and action, and I’m proud that New York continues to lead the way as a beacon of progress for other states,” Kaplan said.

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