STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
                                          3855
                               2017-2018 Regular Sessions
                    IN SENATE
                                    January 27, 2017
                                       ___________
        Introduced by Sen. MARCHIONE -- 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 removing the photograph
          requirement for a firearm license where the licensee  is  of  a  faith
          that forbids a photograph be taken of himself or herself
          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:
     1    Section 1. Paragraph (a) of subdivision 3, subdivision  7,  and  para-
     2  graph  (a)  of  subdivision 10 of section 400.00 of the penal law, para-
     3  graph (a) of subdivision 3  and  paragraph  (a)  of  subdivision  10  as
     4  amended  by  chapter  1  of  the  laws  of  2013, are amended to read as
     5  follows:
     6    (a) Applications shall be made and renewed, in the case of  a  license
     7  to  carry  or  possess a pistol or revolver, to the licensing officer in
     8  the city or county, as the case may be, where the applicant resides,  is
     9  principally  employed  or  has his or her principal place of business as
    10  merchant or storekeeper; and, in the case of a license  as  gunsmith  or
    11  dealer  in  firearms, to the licensing officer where such place of busi-
    12  ness is located. Blank applications shall, except in  the  city  of  New
    13  York,  be  approved as to form by the superintendent of state police. An
    14  application shall state the full name, date of birth, residence, present
    15  occupation of each person or individual signing the same, whether or not
    16  he or she is a citizen of the United States, whether or not  he  or  she
    17  complies  with each requirement for eligibility specified in subdivision
    18  one of this section and such other facts as may be required to show  the
    19  good  character,  competency  and integrity of each person or individual
    20  signing the application. An application shall be signed and verified  by
    21  the  applicant.  Each individual signing an application shall submit one
    22  photograph of himself or herself and a duplicate for each required  copy
    23  of the application. Such photographs shall have been taken within thirty
    24  days  prior to filing the application, except for applicants whose reli-
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD09008-01-7

        S. 3855                             2
     1  gion does not allow for photography, such as those of the  Amish  faith.
     2  In  case of a license as gunsmith or dealer in firearms, the photographs
     3  submitted shall be two inches square, and  the  application  shall  also
     4  state  the  previous  occupation of each individual signing the same and
     5  the location of the place of such business, or of  the  bureau,  agency,
     6  subagency,  office  or  branch  office  for which the license is sought,
     7  specifying the name of the city, town or village, indicating the  street
     8  and  number  and  otherwise  giving such apt description as to point out
     9  reasonably the location thereof. In such case, if  the  applicant  is  a
    10  firm, partnership or corporation, its name, date and place of formation,
    11  and  principal place of business shall be stated. For such firm or part-
    12  nership, the application shall be signed and verified by each individual
    13  composing or intending to compose the same, and for such corporation, by
    14  each officer thereof.
    15    7. License: form. Any license issued pursuant to this  section  shall,
    16  except  in  the  city  of New York, be approved as to form by the super-
    17  intendent of state police. A license to carry or  possess  a  pistol  or
    18  revolver  shall  have  attached  the  licensee's  photograph, except for
    19  applicants whose religion does not allow for photography, such as  those
    20  of  the Amish faith, and a coupon which shall be removed and retained by
    21  any person disposing of a firearm to the licensee.  Such  license  shall
    22  specify  the weapon covered by calibre, make, model, manufacturer's name
    23  and serial number, or if none, by any  other  distinguishing  number  or
    24  identification  mark,  and shall indicate whether issued to carry on the
    25  person or possess on the premises, and if on  the  premises  shall  also
    26  specify  the  place  where  the licensee shall possess the same. If such
    27  license is issued to an alien, or to a  person  not  a  citizen  of  and
    28  usually  a  resident  in the state, the licensing officer shall state in
    29  the license the particular reason for the issuance and the names of  the
    30  persons  certifying  to the good character of the applicant. Any license
    31  as gunsmith or dealer in firearms shall mention and describe  the  prem-
    32  ises for which it is issued and shall be valid only for such premises.
    33    (a) Any license for gunsmith or dealer in firearms and, in the city of
    34  New  York,  any license to carry or possess a pistol or revolver, issued
    35  at any time pursuant to this section or prior to the first day of  July,
    36  nineteen  hundred  sixty-three  and  not limited to expire on an earlier
    37  date fixed in the license, shall expire not more than three years  after
    38  the  date  of issuance. In the counties of Nassau, Suffolk and Westches-
    39  ter, any license to carry or possess a pistol or revolver, issued at any
    40  time pursuant to this section or prior to the first day of  July,  nine-
    41  teen  hundred  sixty-three  and not limited to expire on an earlier date
    42  fixed in the license, shall expire not more than five  years  after  the
    43  date  of  issuance;  however,  in  the  county  of Westchester, any such
    44  license shall be certified prior to the first day of  April,  two  thou-
    45  sand,  in  accordance  with  a  schedule  to be contained in regulations
    46  promulgated by the commissioner of  the  division  of  criminal  justice
    47  services,  and  every such license shall be recertified every five years
    48  thereafter. For purposes of this section certification shall  mean  that
    49  the licensee shall provide to the licensing officer the following infor-
    50  mation  only:    current  name,  date of birth, current address, and the
    51  make, model,  caliber  and  serial  number  of  all  firearms  currently
    52  possessed.  Such certification information shall be filed by the licens-
    53  ing officer in the same manner as an amendment. Elsewhere  than  in  the
    54  city  of  New  York and the counties of Nassau, Suffolk and Westchester,
    55  any license to carry or possess a pistol or revolver, issued at any time
    56  pursuant to this section or prior to the first  day  of  July,  nineteen

        S. 3855                             3
     1  hundred sixty-three and not previously revoked or cancelled, shall be in
     2  force  and  effect  until  revoked  as  herein provided. Any license not
     3  previously cancelled or revoked shall remain in full  force  and  effect
     4  for  thirty  days beyond the stated expiration date on such license. Any
     5  application to renew a license that has  not  previously  expired,  been
     6  revoked  or cancelled shall thereby extend the term of the license until
     7  disposition of the application by the licensing officer. In the case  of
     8  a license for gunsmith or dealer in firearms, in counties having a popu-
     9  lation  of  less  than  two  hundred  thousand inhabitants, photographs,
    10  except for applicants whose religion does  not  allow  for  photography,
    11  such as those of the Amish faith, and fingerprints shall be submitted on
    12  original  applications  and  upon  renewal  thereafter  only at six year
    13  intervals. Upon satisfactory  proof  that  a  currently  valid  original
    14  license   has  been  despoiled,  lost  or  otherwise  removed  from  the
    15  possession of the licensee and upon application containing an additional
    16  photograph of the licensee, the licensing officer shall issue  a  dupli-
    17  cate license.
    18    §  2.  Paragraph  (c)  of subdivision 3 of section 400.03 of the penal
    19  law, as added by chapter 1 of the laws of 2013, is amended  to  read  as
    20  follows:
    21    (c)  the  transferor  has  verified  the identity of the transferee by
    22  examining a valid state identification document of the transferee issued
    23  by the department of motor vehicles or if the transferee is not a  resi-
    24  dent of the state of New York, a valid identification document issued by
    25  the  transferee's  state or country of residence containing a photograph
    26  of the transferee, except for transferees whose religion does not  allow
    27  for  photography,  such as those of the Amish faith, whose identity must
    28  be verified through fingerprinting.
    29    § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.