New York Implements Background Checks, Fees for Ammunition
New York has recently implemented a new gun control law that mandates background checks for individuals purchasing ammunition and imposes fees for each purchase.
This new restriction on firearm owners went into effect despite attempts by opponents to halt its implementation. Two gun shop owners in New York urgently requested an emergency order to prevent the law from taking effect, arguing that these new requirements would infringe upon gun owners’ Second Amendment rights. However, Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor rejected their appeal to block the new background check system. Sotomayor did not provide a comment for this rejection, as is custom for the Supreme Court.
Under the new regulation, firearm purchasers in New York are required to pay a fee of $2.50 for ammunition and $9 for firearms, with the state asserting that these fees will fund the implementation of the new background checks. Background checks will now be under the authority of the New York State Police as well.
Following Sotomayor’s rejection, the plaintiffs sought another appeal, this time directed toward Justice Clarence Thomas. It is not clear whether or not Thomas will consider this request.
Governor Kathy Hochul defended the law, stating that it is an effective step in enacting tougher gun control regulations in the state.
“Earlier today, Justice Sonia Sotomayor issued an order rejecting the latest attempt to halt New York’s nation-leading gun safety laws taking effect tomorrow and to block a related law that has been in effect since December 2022. The Concealed Carry Improvement Act passed last year after I convened a special session of the Legislature to address the Supreme Court’s reckless overturning of gun safety regulations that had kept New York safe for more than a century.
This new order from Justice Sotomayor will ensure that the legislation’s provisions related to stronger background checks for guns and ammunition, set to take effect on September 13, will continue to move full speed ahead, and the law requiring periodic onsite inspections of firearms dealers remains intact. Public safety is my top priority, and I’m committed to doing everything in my power to keep New Yorkers safe.”
Statement from New York Governor Kathy Hochul
These new restrictions come after a series of setbacks for New York in its efforts to implement gun control. Last year, the Supreme Court made a landmark decision in N.Y. State Rifle and Pistol Association v. Bruen that ruled a law requiring New Yorkers to provide an eligible reason to obtain and carry a firearm was unconstitutional. New York also attempted to enact a law that would classify carrying a firearm on private property without signed consent from the property owner as a felony, even for gun owners with a valid carry license. However, this law was blocked by a U.S. district judge.
