Thiele gun bill awaits Cuomo signature
There was a time when people could enter a school, a house of worship or a movie theater with nothing more than peaceful thoughts. They were places everyone frequented without a second thought, but today are often the sites of mass shootings.
That’s what prompted Assemblyman Fred Thiele Jr. (I-Sag Harbor) to pass legislation criminalizing the manufacture, sale, transport or possession of firearms, rifles, shotguns or major components of those weapons that are undetectable.
The bill has also been passed in the State Senate and awaits the signature of Governor Andrew Cuomo. With the advancement of technology, creation of undetectable guns have made even places of high security unsafe, Mr. Thiele said.
“By prohibiting these weapons, we can help ensure that crucial safety measures like metal detectors are effectively doing their job,” the legislator said.
In 2017 , the nation witnessed 39,773 gun deaths, the highest in 40 years, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Technology that makes guns and parts undetectable has made the weapons easier to acquire and carry in populated areas, he said.
His bill is another in a series this year aimed at keeping guns out of the hands of criminals.
Among other bills passed in the Legislature, it ensures background checks of those who want to acquire guns; a ban on bump stocks; a requirement for safe storage of guns; and a law allowing courts to issue “extreme risk” protection orders prohibiting anyone deemed to be a threat to themselves or others from purchasing or possessing firearms.
