WPCNR COUNTY CLARION-LEDGER. From the Westchester County Board of Legislators. January 7, 2017:
Friday, the Board of Legislators’ (BOL) Republicans submitted Legislation that would require all gun show operators who stage a gun show at any location in Westchester County to adopt the operational guidelines recommended by New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman.
Procedures this proposed law will require are:
1) All guns brought into the gun show by private sellers are tagged so that, upon exiting, the operator can determine if guns were sold and that a proper background check was performed.
2) Post conspicuous signs throughout the shows that give written notice to all dealers and lay out in online promotional materials that makes clear that New York State law requires that a National Instant Criminal Background Check (NICS) must be completed prior to all firearm sales or transfers, and it’s a crime not to do so.
3) Inform all gun show staff of the requirements of posting signs and conducting NICS and provide access to a dealer who is authorized to conduct a NICS at cost.
4) Limit the number of access doors at the show so that sellers and buyers have to enter and exit through an area where the NICS procedures can be monitored.
5) Use reasonable means, including police patrols, to prevent illegal gun sales outside of the building, including the parking lot, and have law enforcement at gun show to watch for illegal sales.
BOL Minority Leader, Legislator John Testa (R) Peekskill, says the Republicans proposed legislation is offered as a compromise to legislation that would ban gun shows at the Westchester County Center. “We have proposed a common-sense approach that memorializes the guidelines set forth by the Attorney General without marginalizing or stigmatizing the thousands of lawful gun owners in Westchester County.” Testa said. “Simply banning gun shows at the County Center still allows, in fact, encourages gun show operators to find private venues to hold gun shows where there is no opportunity for oversight by the County. The legislation we have submitted extends the Attorney General’s very specific and common sense guidelines to every gun show that would be held at any location thereby insuring safety and accountability for gun show operators in all of our communities across Westchester.”
BOL Vice Chairman Jim Maisano worked closely with the Westchester County Attorney in crafting the compromise legislation. “We’ve taken great care to write legislation that protects the constitutional rights of sportsmen, hunters and other lawful gun owners, while ensuring that all gun transactions and acquisitions that take place at gun shows in Westchester County follow the highest safety and security protocols. If our law passes, Westchester County will have the strongest gun show regulations in New York State.”
