A10307: Proposed Law Would Notify Police of Firearm Purchase Denials

Assembly Bill A10307, introduced on February 20, 2026 by Assemblywoman Amy Paulin, would require the New York State Police to notify local law enforcement agencies and prosecutors within two business days after making the federal denial report for persons prohibited under 18 U.S.C. section 922(g) (convicted felons, domestic violence misdemeanants, persons under qualifying restraining orders, adjudicated mental defectives, and other categories of prohibited persons) or section 922(n), which restricts firearm receipt by persons under indictment for a crime punishable by imprisonment for more than one year. The bill reached Third Reading in the Assembly the week of April 23, 2026.^[1]

What the Bill Would Do

A10307 amends Executive Law Section 228, which currently requires the State Police to report denied purchasers to the NICS denied persons file. The bill adds a new subdivision 2-a requiring the Division of State Police, within two business days of making that federal report, to notify the local law enforcement agency and local prosecutor with jurisdiction over the location where the prohibited person sought to acquire the firearm. Upon receiving such a notification, the local law enforcement agency would be required to investigate within five business days.

How Current Law Works

Under federal law (18 U.S.C. sec. 922(g) and (n)), certain categories of persons are prohibited from possessing or receiving firearms, including those convicted of felonies, domestic violence misdemeanants, and persons subject to qualifying restraining orders. When a federally licensed dealer runs a NICS background check and the system returns a denial, that denial is reported to the FBI's Index of denied persons. However, no existing New York law creates a direct pipeline from those denials to the local police precinct or district attorney's office nearest to the attempted purchase. A10307 closes that gap.^[2]

Policy Context

Proponents of denied-buyer notification laws argue that a firearm purchase denial is itself evidence of a potential crime: a prohibited person attempting to buy a gun through a dealer has either lied on federal Form 4473 or been identified as prohibited. In a 2018 report (GAO-18-440), GAO found that ATF referred about 12,700 federal background-check denials from fiscal year 2017 to its field divisions for investigation, and U.S. Attorney's Offices had prosecuted 12 of those cases as of June 2018. State-level follow-up investigations vary widely by jurisdiction. Supporters contend that local notification would improve enforcement against straw purchases and attempts by prohibited persons to arm themselves. Critics of similar laws in other states have raised concerns about overburdening local law enforcement with mandatory investigation timelines. The bill takes effect 60 days after enactment if signed.

Legislative Status

A10307 was introduced in February 2026 and referred to the Committee on Codes. The bill reached Third Reading in the Assembly the week of April 23, 2026. The last recorded action was amendment on Assembly third reading as A10307B on June 1, 2026.