STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                           930

                               2021-2022 Regular Sessions

                   IN ASSEMBLY

                                       (Prefiled)

                                     January 6, 2021
                                       ___________

        Introduced by M. of A. PAULIN -- read once and referred to the Committee
          on Governmental Operations

        AN  ACT  to  amend  the  executive law, the general business law and the
          penal law, in relation to the point of contact for conducting national
          instant criminal background checks; and to  amend  the  state  finance
          law, in relation to the creation of the background check fund

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

     1    Section 1. The executive law is amended by adding a new section 228 to
     2  read as follows:
     3    § 228. National instant criminal background checks.  The  division  is
     4  hereby  authorized and directed to serve as a state point of contact for
     5  implementation of 18 U.S.C. sec.  922 (t), all federal  regulations  and
     6  applicable guidelines adopted pursuant thereto, and the national instant
     7  criminal background check system.
     8    1.  The  division  shall  report  the name, date of birth and physical
     9  description of any person prohibited from possessing a firearm  pursuant
    10  to  18  USC  922(g)  or  (n) to the national instant criminal background
    11  check system index, denied persons files.
    12    2.  The superintendent shall promulgate a  plan  to  coordinate  back-
    13  ground checks for firearm  purchases and any person, firm or corporation
    14  that  sells,  delivers  or otherwise transfers any firearm shall contact
    15  the state police in order to complete the background checks  in  compli-
    16  ance  with  federal  and  state  law, including NICS, in New York state.
    17  Following implementation of such plan, no application or record of  sale
    18  shall  be  completed  for  the  purchase  or  transfer of a firearm by a
    19  licensed dealer without first contacting the  state  police.  Such  plan
    20  shall include, but shall not be limited to the following features:
    21    (a)  The  superintendent  of  the New York State Police shall create a
    22  centralized bureau within the New York State Police  department  with  a

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD01973-01-1

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     1  contact center unit that handles all background  checks and maintains an
     2  appeals  unit.  Staff  may  include but is not limited to: bureau chief,
     3  supervisors, managers,  different  levels  of  administrative  analysts,
     4  appeals  specialists  and  administrative  personnel. The New York State
     5  Police shall  employ  and  train  such  personnel  to    administer  the
     6  provisions of this section.
     7    (b) Procedures for carrying out the duties under this section, includ-
     8  ing at a minimum:
     9    i.  that  the  bureau shall be open for business from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
    10  every calendar day except for Christmas, Thanksgiving and the fourth  of
    11  July, to complete background checks; and
    12    ii.  during hours of operation, all phone lines and databases shall be
    13  operational.
    14    (c) The superintendent shall set up an automated phone system and  web
    15  based application system, in order that the bureau shall provide a toll-
    16  free  telephone  number  and/or  web-based  application  option  for any
    17  person, firm or corporation seeking a background check in order to sell,
    18  deliver or otherwise transfer a firearm, that is operational  every  day
    19  that  the  office  is open for business for the purpose of responding to
    20  requests in accordance with this section.
    21    (d) i. Upon receipt of a background check  request,  personnel  should
    22  check  all relevant federal and state databases and records, in order to
    23  return a result as efficiently as possible.
    24    ii. In completing an instant background  check,  the  New  York  State
    25  Police  shall  create  and  maintain an online automated check system to
    26  search through in accordance with federal and state law. The superinten-
    27  dent may create and maintain  additional  databases  of  information  as
    28  needed to complete background checks.
    29    (e)  i. Each person, firm or corporation that sells any firearms shall
    30  pay a fee that is  imposed by the bureau  for  performing  a  background
    31  check.  Such fee will be collected electronically and shall be allocated
    32  to  the  background  check  fund established pursuant to section ninety-
    33  nine-ii of the state finance law. The amount of the fee shall not exceed
    34  the total amount of direct and indirect costs incurred by the bureau  in
    35  performing the background check.
    36    ii.  The  bureau  shall transmit all moneys collected pursuant to this
    37  paragraph to the state comptroller, who shall credit  the  same  to  the
    38  background check fund.
    39    iii.  On  January  fifteenth  of  each calendar year, the bureau shall
    40  report to the joint budget committee concerning:
    41    a. The number of employees used by the bureau in  the  preceding  year
    42  for  the  purpose  of  performing  background  checks  pursuant  to this
    43  section; and
    44    b. the calculations used to determine the amount of  the  fee  imposed
    45  pursuant to this subdivision.
    46    iv.  If a person, firm or corporation that sells firearms demonstrates
    47  hardship in electronic payment, then such person,  firm  or  corporation
    48  can  arrange  to  be  invoiced  and paid by check and regular mail. If a
    49  person, firm or corporation that sells firearms does not  remit  payment
    50  within forty-five days, service shall be cut off.
    51    (f)  Upon  establishment of such plan, the superintendent shall notify
    52  each person, firm or corporation holding a permit to  sell  firearms  of
    53  the change in law as well as the following means to be used to apply for
    54  background checks:
    55    i.  any  person, firm or corporation that sells, delivers or otherwise
    56  transfers firearms must obtain a completed ATF 4473 form from the poten-

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     1  tial buyer or transferee including name, date of  birth,  gender,  race,
     2  social  security  number, or other identification numbers of such poten-
     3  tial  buyer or transferee and must have inspected proper  identification
     4  including  an  identification  containing  a photograph of the potential
     5  buyer or transferee. Information from the form can then be  utilized  in
     6  application for a background check through a toll-free telephone line or
     7  web-based application.
     8    ii. it is unlawful for any person, in connection with the sale, acqui-
     9  sition  or  attempted   acquisition of a firearm from any transferor, to
    10  willfully make any false, fictitious oral or  written  statement  or  to
    11  furnish  or exhibit any false, fictitious, or misrepresented identifica-
    12  tion that is  intended or likely to deceive such transferor with respect
    13  to any fact material to the lawfulness  of the sale or other disposition
    14  of such firearm under federal or state law. Any person who violates  the
    15  provisions  of  this subparagraph shall be guilty of a class A misdemea-
    16  nor.
    17    3. Any applicant shall have thirty days to  appeal  the  denial  of  a
    18  background  check,  using  a form established by the superintendent. The
    19  division shall research the background check and provide such  applicant
    20  a reason for a denial. Upon receipt of the reason for denial, the appel-
    21  lant may appeal to the attorney general.
    22    §  2.  Subdivision  2  of  section 898 of the general business law, as
    23  added by chapter 129 of the laws of 2019, is amended to read as follows:
    24    2. Before any sale, exchange or disposal pursuant to this  article,  a
    25  national instant criminal background check must be completed by a dealer
    26  who  [consents]  shall  contact  the division of state police to conduct
    27  such check[,  and  upon  completion  of  such  background  check,  shall
    28  complete  a  document, the form of which shall be approved by the super-
    29  intendent of state police, that identifies and confirms that such  check
    30  was  performed].  Before a dealer who [consents] has contacted the divi-
    31  sion of state police to conduct a national instant  criminal  background
    32  check  delivers  a  firearm,  rifle or shotgun to any person, either (a)
    33  NICS shall have issued a "proceed" response  [to  the  dealer],  or  (b)
    34  thirty  calendar  days  shall  have  elapsed  since  the date the dealer
    35  contacted the division of state police to contact the NICS to initiate a
    36  national instant criminal background check and NICS has not notified the
    37  [dealer] division of state police that  the  transfer  of  the  firearm,
    38  rifle or shotgun to such person should be denied.
    39    §  3.  Paragraph  (c)  of  subdivision 1 of section 896 of the general
    40  business law, as added by chapter 189 of the laws of 2000, is amended to
    41  read as follows:
    42    (c) coordinate with the division of state police to provide access  at
    43  the  gun  show  to  [a  firearm dealer licensed under federal law who is
    44  authorized to] perform a  national  instant  criminal  background  check
    45  [where  the  seller  or transferor of a firearm, rifle or shotgun is not
    46  authorized to conduct such a check by (i) requiring  firearm  exhibitors
    47  who  are  firearm dealers licensed under federal law and who are author-
    48  ized to conduct a national instant criminal background check to  provide
    49  such  a check at cost or (ii) designating a specific location at the gun
    50  show where a firearm dealer licensed under federal law who is authorized
    51  to conduct a national instant criminal background check will be  present
    52  to  perform such a check at cost] prior to any firearm sale or transfer.
    53  Any firearm dealer licensed under federal law  who  [performs]  contacts
    54  the  division  of  state  police  to perform a national instant criminal
    55  background check pursuant to this paragraph shall provide the seller  or
    56  transferor  of  the  firearm, rifle or shotgun with a copy of the United

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     1  States Department of Treasury, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco  and  Firearms
     2  Form  ATF  F 4473 and such dealer shall maintain such form and make such
     3  form available for inspection by law enforcement agencies for  a  period
     4  of ten years thereafter.
     5    §  4.  Subdivision  6  of section 400.03 of the penal law, as added by
     6  chapter 1 of the laws of 2013, is amended to read as follows:
     7    6. If the superintendent of state  police  certifies  that  background
     8  checks  of  ammunition  purchasers may be conducted through the national
     9  instant criminal background check system, [use  of  that  system  by]  a
    10  dealer  or  seller shall contact the division of state police to conduct
    11  such check which shall be sufficient to satisfy  subdivisions  four  and
    12  five  of  this  section [and such checks shall be conducted through such
    13  system, provided that a record of such transaction shall be forwarded to
    14  the state police in a form determined by the superintendent].
    15    § 5. The penal law is amended by adding a new section 400.06  to  read
    16  as follows:
    17  § 400.06 National instant criminal background checks.
    18    1.  Any  dealer  in  firearms that delivers or otherwise transfers any
    19  firearm shall contact the division of state police to conduct a national
    20  instant criminal background check.
    21    2. Failure to comply with the requirements of this section is a  class
    22  A misdemeanor.
    23    § 6. The state finance law is amended by adding a new section 99-ii to
    24  read as follows:
    25    §  99-ii. Background check fund. 1. There is hereby established in the
    26  joint custody of the state comptroller and commissioner of taxation  and
    27  finance a special fund to be known as the "background check fund".
    28    2.  Such  fund  shall  consist  of  all revenues received by the comp-
    29  troller, pursuant to the provisions of section two hundred  twenty-eight
    30  of  the executive law and all other moneys appropriated thereto from any
    31  other fund or source pursuant to law.  Nothing contained in this section
    32  shall prevent the state from receiving grants, gifts or bequests for the
    33  purposes of the fund as defined in this section and depositing them into
    34  the fund according to law.
    35    3. The moneys of the background check fund, following appropriation by
    36  the legislature, shall be allocated for the direct costs associated with
    37  performing background checks pursuant to   section two  hundred  twenty-
    38  eight of the executive law.
    39    4. The state comptroller may invest any moneys in the background check
    40  fund  not  expended  for the purpose of this section as provided by law.
    41  The state comptroller shall credit any interest and income derived  from
    42  the deposit and investment of moneys in the background check fund to the
    43  background check fund.
    44    5.  (a)  Any unexpended and unencumbered moneys remaining in the back-
    45  ground check fund at the end of a fiscal year shall remain in the  back-
    46  ground check fund and shall not be credited to any other fund.
    47    (b)  To the extent practicable, any such remaining funds shall be used
    48  to reduce the amount of the fee described in subdivision two of  section
    49  two hundred twenty-eight of the executive law.
    50    §  7.  This  act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
    51  have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or
    52  repeal of any rule or regulation necessary  for  the  implementation  of
    53  this  act  on its effective date are authorized to be made and completed
    54  on or before such effective date.