New York Assembly Bill A00198

New York 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/8/25
• Refer: 1/8/25
• Report Pass: 5/20/25
• Refer: 5/20/25
• Report Pass: 6/5/25
• Refer: 6/5/25
• Refer: 1/7/26
• Report Pass: 4/21/26

Caption

Relates to establishing a voluntary waiver of the right to purchase firearms, rifles or shotguns; requires the division of state police to maintain statewide records of individuals who have waived the right to purchase firearms, rifles, or shotguns and any revocations of such waivers.

Summary

A00198 would add a new section to the Executive Law creating a voluntary waiver process for the right to purchase firearms, rifles, or shotguns. Under the bill, an individual could file a waiver with the Division of State Police, which would verify identity, record the waiver, and enter it into the state’s background-check and other law-enforcement systems so the person is treated as a prohibited purchaser. The bill also allows the individual to designate a contact person to be notified if the waiver is later revoked. The waiver is revocable. A person could submit a revocation to State Police, identity would again be verified, and after a 21-day waiting period the person would be removed from the systems that flag prohibited purchasers. The bill also makes clear that a waiver cannot be required as a condition of employment, benefits, or services, and that the records are confidential and not subject to disclosure. The bill’s legal effect would be to create a new state-administered mechanism for self-imposed firearm purchase prohibition and to require State Police to maintain statewide records of both waivers and revocations. It would also amend how state and law-enforcement databases are used by adding voluntary waiver status as a basis for denying firearm purchases, while limiting the use of the information to firearm-eligibility determinations only. A false statement about identity in connection with a waiver would be punishable as offering a false instrument for filing in the second degree. The available voting history suggests generally favorable committee sentiment, with the bill advancing out of the Assembly Governmental Operations Committee and the Assembly Codes Committee by comfortable margins. There are no transcript excerpts showing debate, but the committee votes indicate support for the concept of a voluntary firearm purchase waiver and for routing the bill forward. The absence of recorded discussion makes it difficult to identify detailed arguments, but the bill appears to have been treated as a public-safety and personal-choice measure. The main points of contention likely center on privacy, data retention, and the role of the state in maintaining a list of people who have chosen to restrict their own firearm access. The bill addresses some of those concerns by making the records confidential, limiting their use, and prohibiting employers or benefit providers from requiring a waiver. Even so, the creation of a statewide database and the inclusion of waiver status in background-check systems could raise concerns among gun-rights advocates, privacy advocates, and others wary of government tracking of lawful purchasers.

Impact

The bill would amend the New York Executive Law by adding a new section authorizing voluntary firearm-purchase waivers and directing the Division of State Police to maintain related records and update background-check systems. It would affect firearm purchasers, the State Police, and any law-enforcement or state computer systems used to identify prohibited purchasers, while also creating a new criminal exposure for false identity statements tied to the waiver process. The bill would not mandate waivers, but it would create a new legal status that temporarily bars the individual from purchasing firearms, rifles, or shotguns until revocation is processed.

Sentiment

Committee action shows a generally favorable reception, with the bill moving forward on multiple votes and no recorded opposition in the provided transcripts. The pattern of approvals suggests lawmakers saw the proposal as a workable voluntary safety tool rather than a controversial restriction. Because no debate transcript is included, the broader public or caucus-level sentiment cannot be measured precisely, but the legislative history provided points to support rather than resistance.

Contention

The likely areas of disagreement are whether the state should maintain a confidential list of people who voluntarily waive firearm purchases, how that information is used in background-check systems, and whether the 21-day revocation delay is appropriate. Supporters would emphasize voluntary self-exclusion, confidentiality, and the prohibition on coercive use by employers or benefit providers. Opponents or skeptics would likely focus on privacy, potential misuse of records, and concerns that a voluntary waiver system could become a de facto registry or create barriers to restoring firearm rights.