{"id":160442,"date":"2022-03-01T16:55:27","date_gmt":"2022-03-01T21:55:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/digest\/?p=160442"},"modified":"2022-03-01T16:55:27","modified_gmt":"2023-09-08T03:54:22","slug":"ny-considering-bill-to-force-firearm-owners-to-purchase-liability-insurance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/ny-considering-bill-to-force-firearm-owners-to-purchase-liability-insurance\/","title":{"rendered":"NY Considering Bill to Force Firearm Owners to Purchase Liability Insurance"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"NY
Sen. Kevin S. Parker is the lead sponsor of the bill. (Photo: New York State Senate)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The New York State Legislature will consider a bill this year that would require gun owners in the state to purchase liability insurance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Such proposals aren\u2019t new in the anti-gun world (New York included<\/a>), but the policy received new life this year when San Jose became <\/a>the first jurisdiction in the country to impose this requirement on gun owners. The measure is the subject of multiple lawsuits, so it\u2019s unclear whether it will be allowed to proceed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The New York bill, S4946<\/a>, amends insurance law to require firearm owners to obtain and continuously maintain a $1,000,000 policy of liability insurance to cover any damages resulting from \u201cnegligent acts involving the use of such firearm.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Current firearm owners in New York will have 30 days from the effective date of the law to obtain a policy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failure to obtain an insurance policy will result in the \u201cimmediate revocation of such owner\u2019s registration, license and any other privilege to own such a firearm.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

SEE ALSO: Veteran New York Firefighter Nabbed for Buying 80 Percent Receivers in First Interstate Task Force Sting<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The San Jose City Council passed a similar ordinance despite fierce and overwhelming public opposition, and the initial reaction in New York appears to be the same. In the comments section under the legislation, 45 of 45 reactions are negative and all six comments are in opposition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWill the gang members and drug dealers also be required to purchase liability insurance for their illegal guns? Or just the legal, law-abiding gun owners?\u201d asked one commenter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis is an unfortunate piece of legislation that places undue financial burden upon otherwise law-abiding citizens who have neither committed any crime nor shown neglect or higher risk for encouraging or committing gun-related crimes,\u201d said another. \u201cThis bill only serves to place an indirect tax upon licensed gun owners, in a thinly-veiled attempt to discourage legal gun ownership, forcing them to pay for the crimes of others who possess and use illegally-obtained firearms.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

SEE ALSO: New York Mayor Announces \u2018Blueprint to End Gun Violence,\u2019 Calls for \u2018Assault Weapon Ban\u2019<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As usual, this isn\u2019t the only piece of anti-gun legislation in the New York legislature this year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n