Provides that dental insurance coverage shall include coverage for night guards; defines dental night guards; provides that dental night guards shall be covered under Medicaid.
Summary
This bill would remove New York’s prohibition on the possession and use of firearm silencers, also referred to as suppressors or mufflers, in hunting and in certain other contexts. It amends the Environmental Conservation Law to delete silencers from the list of items that may not be used in hunting or possessed in the fields, forests, or waters of the state, while leaving the remaining restrictions on automatic firearms and certain semiautomatic firearms in place.
The bill also amends the Penal Law to remove “firearm silencer” from the list of prohibited weapons associated with certain serious weapons offenses. In addition, it creates an express exception allowing a person who lawfully possesses a device that silences, suppresses, or muffles a firearm’s report to use that device while hunting any game for which the person is licensed, so long as the host firearm is otherwise lawful for that hunt. The measure takes effect immediately.
Impact
If enacted, the bill would change both the Environmental Conservation Law and the Penal Law by eliminating the state-level ban on silencers/suppressors and by carving out lawful hunting use for otherwise legal devices. It would affect hunters, firearm owners, law enforcement, and prosecutors by narrowing the circumstances in which possession or use of a silencer could trigger criminal liability or hunting-law violations. The bill would not alter the existing restrictions on other weapon types or the broader firearm definitions already in state law.
Sentiment
Based on the text provided, there is no recorded committee debate, vote history, or other discussion showing support or opposition. The bill’s framing suggests a pro-firearm-access and pro-hunting rationale, emphasizing lawful possession and use rather than expansion of prohibited weapons. Because no transcript or vote data is available, the overall sentiment cannot be measured from legislative discussion, but the proposal itself is clearly deregulatory toward suppressor ownership and use.
Contention
The main point of contention is likely to be public safety versus lawful firearm use. Supporters would likely argue that suppressors are useful for hearing protection and hunting and that lawful owners should not be categorically barred from possessing them. Opponents would likely focus on concerns that removing the prohibition could make firearms harder to detect or regulate and could weaken existing weapons restrictions. The bill also touches on the intersection of hunting regulation and criminal weapons law, which may raise questions about enforcement and whether the state should treat silencers as ordinary accessories or restricted devices.
Provides that dental insurance coverage shall include coverage for night guards; defines dental night guards; provides that dental night guards shall be covered under Medicaid.
Provides that dental insurance coverage shall include coverage for night guards; defines dental night guards; provides that dental night guards shall be covered under Medicaid.
Provides that insurance policies which provide hospital, surgical or medical coverage shall provide coverage for hysterectomies; provides that such coverage shall include inpatient hospital coverage for a minimum period of seventy-two hours after surgery.
Addresses non-covered dental services by requiring all policies providing coverage of and all contracts for dental services issued to include a disclosure stating that a participating provider may charge their normal fee for services that are not covered; requires a cost estimate to be provided.
Addresses non-covered dental services by requiring all policies providing coverage of and all contracts for dental services issued to include a disclosure stating that a participating provider may charge their normal fee for services that are not covered; requires a cost estimate to be provided.
An act to amend Section 1680 of the Business and Professions Code, to amend Section 1367.03 of, and to add Section 1374.191 to, the Health and Safety Code, and to amend Section 10133.54 of, and to add Section 10120.6 to, the Insurance Code, relating to health care coverage.