STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                         8926--A

                    IN SENATE

                                     August 19, 2020
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  Sen.  MYRIE  -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
          printed to be  committed  to  the  Committee  on  Rules  --  committee
          discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted
          to said committee

        AN  ACT to amend the general business law, in relation to the dangers to
          safety and health and creation of a public nuisance cause by the sale,
          manufacturing, importing and marketing of firearms

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

     1    Section  1.  Legislative  findings  and intent. The legislature hereby
     2  finds that the illegal use of firearms not  only  constitutes  a  public
     3  nuisance  as  declared  in  article  400  of the penal law, but that the
     4  effects of such nuisance poses specific harm to New Yorkers based large-
     5  ly on their zip code and certain immutable characteristics such as  race
     6  and ethnicity.  Illegal firearm violence has disproportionately affected
     7  urban  neighborhoods in the state despite stringent state and local laws
     8  against the illegal possession  of  firearms  while,  according  to  the
     9  Bureau  of  Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives statistics, 74% of
    10  firearms used in crimes in New York are purchased outside of  New  York.
    11  Thus,  the  legislature further finds that given the ease at which legal
    12  firearms flow into the illegal market, and given the specific harm ille-
    13  gal firearm violence causes certain New Yorkers, those  responsible  for
    14  the  sale,  manufacture, or marketing of firearms may be held liable for
    15  the public nuisance caused by such activities.
    16    § 2. The general business law is  amended  by  adding  a  new  article
    17  39-dddd to read as follows:
    18                               ARTICLE 39-DDDD
    19          SALE, MANUFACTURING, IMPORTING AND MARKETING OF FIREARMS
    20  Section 898-a. Definitions.
    21          898-b. Dangers to safety and health.
    22          898-c. Public nuisance.
    23          898-d. Enforcement.
    24          898-e. Private right of action.
    25    §  898-a.  Definitions.  For  purposes  of this article, the following
    26  terms shall have the following meanings:
    27    1. "Deceptive arts or  practices"  shall  have  the  same  meaning  as
    28  defined in article twenty-two-A of this chapter.

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD17136-03-0

        S. 8926--A                          2

     1    2. "False advertising" shall have the same meaning as defined in arti-
     2  cle twenty-two-A of this chapter.
     3    3.  "Firearm"  shall  mean  a firearm, rifle or shotgun, as defined in
     4  section 265.00 of the penal law.
     5    4. "Gun industry member" shall mean a  person,  firm,  corporation  or
     6  association  engaged  in the sale, manufacturing, importing or marketing
     7  of firearms.
     8    § 898-b. Dangers to safety and health. No gun  industry  member  shall
     9  create  or maintain a condition which endangers safety or health through
    10  the sale, manufacturing, importing or marketing of firearms.
    11    § 898-c. Public nuisance. 1. A violation of this article that  results
    12  in harm to the public shall hereby be declared to be a public nuisance.
    13    2.  The existence of a public nuisance shall not depend on whether the
    14  gun industry member acted for the purpose of causing harm to the public.
    15    3. The acts or omissions of a gun industry member shall constitute the
    16  proximate cause of a public nuisance if the harm to  the  public  was  a
    17  reasonably foreseeable effect of such acts or omissions, notwithstanding
    18  any  intervening  actions, including but not limited to criminal actions
    19  by third parties.
    20    4. In determining whether a nuisance exists, a court shall consider:
    21    (a) any crimes committed in New York with firearms sold,  manufactured
    22  or marketed by the gun industry member;
    23    (b) the total number of firearms that the gun industry member manufac-
    24  tured or sold in the United States;
    25    (c)  the  total  number of firearms sold by the gun industry member in
    26  New York;
    27    (d) the value of firearm-related products sold  by  the  gun  industry
    28  member in New York;
    29    (e)  the total number of firearms linked to criminal investigations in
    30  New York that are attributable to the gun industry member;
    31    (f) the sale prices of firearms sold by the gun industry member;
    32    (g) the connection with companies related to the gun industry member;
    33    (h) the distribution methods and their possible effects on  crimes  in
    34  New York;
    35    (i) the gun industry member's total revenue from the United States and
    36  New York markets;
    37    (j)  whether  the gun industry member has engaged in deceptive acts or
    38  practices in the conduct of any business, trade or commerce  or  in  the
    39  furnishing of any service;
    40    (k)  whether  the gun industry member has engaged in false advertising
    41  in the conduct of any business, trade, or commerce or in the  furnishing
    42  of any service; and
    43    (l)  any  other  acts  or  omissions  by  the gun industry member that
    44  create, contribute to or maintain public harm.
    45    § 898-d. Enforcement. The provisions of this article may  be  enforced
    46  by  the  attorney  general in the name of the people of the state of New
    47  York, or by the  town  attorney,  city  corporation  counsel,  or  other
    48  lawfully  designated  enforcement  officer  of  a  municipality or local
    49  government.
    50    § 898-e. Private right of action. Any  person,  firm,  corporation  or
    51  association that has been damaged as a result of a gun industry member's
    52  acts  or  omissions  in  violation  of this article shall be entitled to
    53  bring an action for recovery of damages or to enforce this article.
    54    § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.