A00198: New York's Proposed Voluntary Firearms Purchase Waiver Program

Assembly Bill A00198, introduced on January 8, 2025 by Assemblywoman Amy Paulin and co-sponsored by Assemblymembers Dinowitz, Seawright, Lupardo, Otis, K. Brown, Bores, and Meeks, would create a voluntary self-exclusion program for firearm purchases in New York. The bill reached the Third Reading calendar in the Assembly the week of April 23, 2026.^[1]

What the Bill Would Do

A00198 would amend the Executive Law by adding a new Section 221-e, establishing a voluntary waiver of the right to purchase firearms, rifles, or shotguns. Under the program, any individual may file a waiver with the New York State Police, after which that person would be prohibited from purchasing any firearm, rifle, or shotgun. The Division of State Police would verify the individual's identity before accepting the waiver and would enter the waiver into the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) and any other applicable federal or state databases within 24 hours of receipt.^[1]

Revocation Process

The waiver is not permanent. A person may file a revocation with the State Police, which would again verify identity before accepting it. Twenty-one days after receiving a valid revocation, the State Police would remove the individual from NICS and any other applicable databases. The 21-day waiting period is designed to serve as a deliberate buffer between the request to restore access and the actual restoration of purchase eligibility.

Privacy and Anti-Coercion Protections

The bill includes two significant protections. First, a waiver may not be required of any individual as a condition for employment, benefits, or services. Second, records maintained under the program would be confidential and could not be disclosed in matters involving health care, employment, education, housing, insurance, government benefits, or contracting. Information about a waiver filer could only be used to determine that person's eligibility to receive a firearm.

Criminal Penalty

Any person who knowingly makes a false statement about their identity when filing a voluntary waiver would be guilty of offering a false instrument for filing in the second degree under Penal Law Section 175.30, a class A misdemeanor.

Context

The voluntary purchase waiver concept has gained support among suicide prevention advocates. Researchers have documented that many firearm-related suicides are impulsive, and that self-exclusion programs give individuals struggling with suicidal ideation a tool to reduce their own access to lethal means during a crisis. Similar voluntary exclusion programs operate in the context of gambling. Virginia enacted a comparable firearms self-exclusion law in 2020, and proposals have circulated in several other states. The bill takes effect 90 days after the Governor's signature if enacted.

Legislative Status

A00198 was introduced in January 2025, referred to the Committee on Governmental Operations, and reached the Third Reading calendar in the Assembly the week of April 23, 2026. The Senate companion bill, S01026, advanced to Senate third reading on May 4, 2026. Neither chamber has passed its respective bill and neither has been signed into law. The simultaneous advancement of both bills in their respective chambers increases the likelihood of floor votes before the session ends.