Bill > A02105

This bill provides for the confidentiality of firearms license applications by amending the New York State Penal Law to ensure that applications for firearms licenses and their supporting records will no longer be considered public records and will not be subject to disclosure under the state's public officers law. The bill eliminates previous provisions that allowed for potential public disclosure of applicant information and removes complex mechanisms that previously allowed individuals to request exceptions to public disclosure. Now, the application details, including personal information like name, address, and other identifying details, will be kept confidential by default. The licensing officer must file the application with the county clerk or designated police department division, and a duplicate copy must still be sent to the state police division within ten days of license issuance. The bill allows the state police superintendent to request certain limited information from license holders if records are incomplete, such as name, date of birth, gender, race, residential address, social security number, and firearms possessed. Records can only be released through a court order, and the bill aims to protect the privacy of firearms license applicants while maintaining necessary record-keeping for law enforcement purposes.