Requires the preparation and dissemination of written materials regarding child access prevention and the safe storage of firearms; establishes such information shall be provided to students and/or persons in a parental relationship to such students at the beginning of each semester or quarter of the regular school year beginning on and after July 1, 2026.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A7566
SPONSOR: Hevesi TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the executive law, in relation to requiring the dissem-
ination of materials regarding child access prevention and the safe
storage of firearms
PURPOSE:
To require the division of criminal justice services to develop model
content related to child access prevention and safe storage of firearms
laws, and require school districts to provide notice of these laws to
parents.and parental guardians of students.
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:
Section 1 amends the executive law to add a new section 845-f, entitled
"Firearms; child access prevention and safe storage."
First, it sets out definitions to be used in this section, including
"school district," "notice," and "school year." Notice is model content
outlined in subdivision two, produced in a concise, publishable format,
such as a brochure, flyer, handbill, leaflet, letter, or pamphlet.
Second, it requires the division of criminal justice services to devel-
op, on or before July 1, 2026, model content for notice of New York's
child access prevention laws and laws relating to the safe storage of
firearms, including but not limited to Penal Law § 265.45 and § 265.50.
The model content shall be produced in the English language and in
common non-English languages spoken in the state. The model content
shall also designate a section for county- and local-specific laws
submitted to it by each county. It then requires the division to update,
as necessary, the model content each July 1st. Lastly, it requires the
department to publish and update the model content on its website.
Third, it requires each county, on or before May 1, 2026, to submit to
the division all county- and local-specific laws and regulations related
to child access prevention and the safe storage of firearms. It then
requires, as necessary, each county to submit any updated laws to the
department each subsequent May 1 going forward.
Fourth, it requires all school districts, beginning on July 1, 2026, to
provide notice, at the beginning of school year, of the model content
directly to parents, guardians, or persons in parental relation to each
student of the school; provided, however, that if a child enrolls after
the beginning of the school year, notice shall be provided within one
week of such enrollment. Notice may be provided as a single notice for
multiple students living in the same household.
Fifth, it requires all school districts, beginning on July 1 2026, to
maintain the model content through their website or affiliated social
media presences.
Sixth, it makes clear that local schools, school districts, and the
division of criminal justice services are immune from civil liability
for any damages allegedly caused by, arising out of, or relating to
notice if the entity provided notice using the model language provided
to it provided by the division.
Section 2 sets the effective date.
JUSTIFICATION:
While New York has made important strides in passing gun-safety laws
related to the safe storage of firearms and child access prevention,
public. awareness of the details of these laws remains comparatively
low. Increasing public awareness of gun-safety laws is especially rele-
vant for parents and parental guardians of students in school districts
across the state. Having up-to-date information can create safer commu-
nities and keep parents and parental guardians informed of gun-safety
laws pertinent to their daily lives.'
This legislation works to standardize and make accessible laws and •
information related to safe storage of firearms and child access
prevention for parents and parental guardians by requiring the division
of criminal justice services to develop and update model content outlin-
ing current gun-safety laws. The model content shall also include any
county and/or local laws related to child access prevention and the safe
storage of firearms submitted to the division from each county.
Starting on July 1, 2026, every school district shall disseminate notice
of the model content to every parent or parental guardian of the
students of the school at the beginning of the school year. Every school
district shall also maintain the model content on their website and/or
affiliated social media presences.
Local schools, school districts, and the division of criminal justice
services are immune from civil liability for any damages allegedly
caused by, arising out of, or relating to notice if the entity provides
notice using the model content provided by the department.
The purpose of this legislation is to ensure that all parents, guardi-
ans, and persons in parental relation to students are kept up-to-date
with written and online information of current child access prevention
laws and laws related to the safe storage of firearms. By requiring the
division of criminal justice services to prepare such model content, and
requiring all school districts to disseminate such model content,
parents and parental guardians of students across the state of New York
will be sufficiently informed of laws that ensure their children's safe-
ty.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
New bill.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
To be determined.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.
1 As one scholar explains, public legal education "provides people with
awareness, knowledge and understanding of rights and legal issues,
together with the confidence and skills they need to deal with disputes
and gain access to justice and .. recognize when they may need support
... and how to go about getting it. see Richard Grimes, PUBLIC LEGAL
EDUCATION -THE ROLE OF LAW SCHOOLS IN BUILDING A MORE LEGALLY LITERATE
SOCIETY (2021).
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
7566
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
April 1, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. HEVESI -- read once and referred to the Committee
on Codes
AN ACT to amend the executive law, in relation to requiring the dissem-
ination of materials regarding child access prevention and the safe
storage of firearms
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. The executive law is amended by adding a new section 845-f
2 to read as follows:
3 § 845-f. Firearms; child access prevention and safe storage. 1. For
4 the purposes of this section the following terms shall have the follow-
5 ing meanings:
6 a. "school district" shall mean any city school district, common
7 school district, union free school district, central school district or
8 central high school district;
9 b. "notice" shall mean written information of the model content
10 outlined in subdivision two of this section, produced in a concise,
11 publishable format, such as a brochure, flyer, handbill, leaflet,
12 letter, or pamphlet, that is intended to be provided directly to
13 parents, guardians, or persons in parental relation to a student of the
14 school, mailed to a student's last known address, emailed to a person in
15 parental relation to a student of the school, or delivered by any other
16 reasonable methods authorized by the division; and
17 c. "school year" shall mean the period commencing on the first day of
18 regular instruction and shall end on the last day of instruction.
19 2. a. On or before July first, two thousand twenty-six, the division,
20 in consultation with the department of health, shall develop model
21 content for notice which shall include, at a minimum, information
22 outlining New York's child access prevention laws and laws relating to
23 the safe storage of firearms, including, but not limited to, sections
24 265.45 and 265.50 of the penal law. The model content shall also include
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD10216-02-5
A. 7566 2
1 relevant statewide resources and information related to child access
2 prevention, the safe storage of firearms, and firearm violence
3 prevention. The division shall produce model content in the English
4 language and in common non-English languages spoken in the state. The
5 division shall update, as necessary, the model content each July first
6 thereafter.
7 b. Such model content shall designate a section for county- and
8 local-specific laws and regulations submitted to it by each county as
9 outlined in subdivision three of this section. The division shall tailor
10 the model content for each county by including in the designated section
11 for county- and local-specific laws and regulations the county- and
12 local-specific laws submitted to it by each county.
13 c. The division shall publish the model content developed and updated
14 pursuant to paragraphs a and b of this subdivision on its website.
15 3. On or before May first, two thousand twenty-six, every county shall
16 submit to the division all information of county- and local-specific
17 laws and regulations related to child access prevention and the safe
18 storage of firearms. Every county shall submit to the division any
19 updated information, insofar as it exists, of county- and local-specific
20 laws related to child access prevention and the safe storage of firearms
21 each May first thereafter.
22 4. The division shall direct, beginning on July first, two thousand
23 twenty-six, all school districts and charter schools to provide notice,
24 at the beginning of the regular school year, of the model content
25 outlined in paragraphs a and b of subdivision two of this section;
26 provided, however, that if a child enrolls after the beginning of the
27 school year, notice of the model content shall be provided within one
28 week of such enrollment. Notice of the model content may be provided as
29 a single notice for multiple students living in the same household.
30 5. The division shall direct, beginning on July first, two thousand
31 twenty-six, all school districts to maintain, through their website or
32 affiliated social media presences, the model content outlined in para-
33 graphs a and b of subdivision two of this section. The model content
34 shall be updated, as necessary, pursuant to paragraph a of subdivision
35 two of this section.
36 6. Local schools, school districts, and the division are immune from
37 civil liability for any damages allegedly caused by, arising out of, or
38 relating to notice if the entity provided notice using the model content
39 provided to it by the division.
40 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
