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The state of New York Thursday passed 10 gun-related bills that will create restrictions such as increasing the minimum age for purchasing or possessing a semiautomatic rifle to 21.
Two of the other bills passed will prohibit people from buying bulletproof vests, unless they are law enforcement, and allow health care providers to “file an application for an extreme risk protection order” if a person that they examined is a risk to themselves or others, which will allow a temporary seizure of that person’s firearms.
In a statement, Governor Kathy Hochul recalled the Wednesday shooting at a medical facility in Oklahoma where a semi-automatic weapon was used, as well as Uvalde, Sandy Hook, Parkland and Buffalo. She said:
We cannot be satisfied by New York’s already tough gun laws. Shooting after shooting makes it clear that they must be even stronger to keep New Yorkers safe. This comprehensive package will close loopholes, give law enforcement the tools they need to prevent easy access to guns, and stop the sale of dangerous weapons to 18-year-olds.
Hochul urged Congress to urgently “pass meaningful gun violence prevention measures.”
New York already has in place a law requiring a person to be at least 21 years of age to possess a handgun.
The state’s new gun laws come in the wake of mass shootings in Uvalde, Buffalo, Chattanooga and Tulsa.