Requires employees of dealers in firearms to submit to state and national criminal background checks and sets forth procedures for employment certificates.
STATE OF NEW YORK
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35
2013-2014 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE(Prefiled)
January 9, 2013
___________
Introduced by Sen. PERALTA -- 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 requiring background
checks for employees authorized to possess or transfer firearms in the
course of a licensed firearms business
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Section 400.00 of the penal law is amended by adding a new
2 subdivision 12-b to read as follows:
3 12-b. Gunsmith or dealer in firearms employees. (a) No person shall be
4 employed by a gunsmith or dealer in firearms for duties that include
5 handling, selling or otherwise disposing of firearms, if such person is
6 prohibited from receiving or possessing firearms under federal law or if
7 such person would be ineligible for a license to possess firearms under
8 paragraph (c) or (e) of subdivision one of this section.
9 (b) No gunsmith or dealer in firearms shall employ a person whose
10 duties include handling, selling or otherwise disposing of firearms,
11 absent an exemption pursuant to paragraphs one and two of subdivision a
12 of section 265.20 of this chapter, unless:
13 (i) such person is twenty-one years of age or older or is a member of
14 the United States armed forces or has been honorably discharged there-
15 from, and such employee has been issued a valid employment certificate
16 by the division of criminal justice services;
17 (ii) such person has obtained and possesses a valid license issued
18 under the provisions of this section or section 400.01 of this article;
19 or
20 (iii) such person was employed by the gunsmith or dealer in firearms
21 prior to the effective date of this subdivision and no more than six
22 months have elapsed after the effective date of this subdivision.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD00351-01-3
S. 35 2
1 (c) Applications for employment certificates shall be submitted by the
2 applicant's prospective employer to the division of criminal justice
3 services. Blank applications shall contain, at a minimum, the informa-
4 tion required to conduct a background check in the National Instant
5 Criminal Background Check System. All applications must be signed and
6 verified by the applicant.
7 (d) Upon receipt of an application for an employment certificate, the
8 division of criminal justice services shall conduct a background check
9 in the National Instant Criminal Background Check System to determine
10 whether the applicant is qualified to receive or possess a firearm under
11 state and federal law. If the results of the background check indicate
12 that there is no information that would disqualify the applicant from
13 receiving or possessing a firearm under state or under federal law, the
14 division of criminal justice services shall document such result on an
15 employment certificate. If the background check results in a "delayed"
16 response as described in 28 C.F.R. § 25.6, the division of criminal
17 justice services shall not certify the applicant for employment pending
18 receipt of a follow-up "proceed" response from the National Instant
19 Criminal Background Check System or the expiration of three business
20 days (exclusive of the day on which the query is made), whichever occurs
21 first.
22 (e) The division of criminal justice services shall issue to qualify-
23 ing employees an employment certificate, which shall certify that the
24 holder of such certificate is eligible to handle, sell or otherwise
25 dispose of firearms or weapons on behalf of the gunsmith or dealer in
26 firearms. Such certificate shall become invalid upon the termination of
27 the employee's employment. Such certificate shall have the effect of
28 authorizing such employee to handle, sell or otherwise dispose of those
29 firearms that are lawfully possessed, sold or disposed of by the
30 gunsmith or dealer in firearms only while such employee is actually
31 conducting business on behalf of the gunsmith or dealer in firearms
32 notwithstanding the fact that such weapons may not be the type the
33 employee would otherwise be licensed or authorized to possess under the
34 laws of this state. When an employee is conducting business on behalf
35 of a gunsmith or dealer in firearms at any location other than the prem-
36 ises where such employee works, the employee shall have in his or her
37 possession a copy of his or her employment certificate or valid license
38 issued under the provisions of this section or section 400.01 of this
39 article or documentation of the employee's exemption based on prior
40 employment. Copies of such certificates or licenses or documentation of
41 exemption shall be maintained by the gunsmith or dealer in firearms on
42 the premises where such employee works. All certificates, licenses,
43 documentation and copies referred to in this paragraph shall be produced
44 upon request by any police officer or peace officer acting pursuant to
45 his or her special duties.
46 (f) Any employment in violation of this subdivision shall constitute a
47 violation on the part of both the employee and the gunsmith or dealer in
48 firearms.
49 § 2. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
50 have become a law.
