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Category: Politics
October 22, 2026
Gov. Kathy Hochul signed two gun-safety measures Wednesday, requiring locked storage for firearms when they are not in an owner’s immediate possession and expanding ammunition background checks to cover people barred from possessing guns under state or federal law.
Hochul signed the measures at the New York Against Gun Violence annual benefit dinner. The action puts gun policy back in the spotlight as New York approaches early voting and the November 3 election, where Hochul is seeking another term against Republican challenger Bruce Blakeman.
Francesco’s Law expands safe-storage requirements
Francesco’s Law, bill A.1962-B/S.9629, requires gun owners and custodians to keep rifles, shotguns and firearms in a locked storage container whenever the weapons are not in their immediate possession. As an alternative, a locking device can be used to render a weapon inoperable.
The requirement applies to all owners, regardless of whether they live with children or people prohibited from possessing firearms. The storage provisions take effect 90 days after enactment, giving owners time to prepare for the new rule.
An illustrative image of a shotgun secured with a cable lock.
The law also establishes a Class A misdemeanor for a specific circumstance: an owner leaves a weapon unsecured where they know, or should know, a minor or prohibited person is likely to gain access, and that person does so. The provision links the offense to both the risk of access and the individual actually obtaining access.
The law is named for Francesco, who died by suicide at 17 after accessing an unsecured shotgun. Wednesday’s signing took place on the fifth anniversary of his death, connecting the legislation to the family’s loss and advocacy for safer storage.
For households, the central change is that safe storage will no longer depend on whether a child or prohibited person lives at the address. The measure sets a broader baseline for owners across New York, while the misdemeanor provision defines when unsecured storage can result in criminal liability.
Ammunition checks change immediately
The second measure, S.7236/A.7983, took effect immediately. It expands ammunition background checks so a sale is barred when a purchaser is prohibited from possessing firearms under state or federal law.
The policy extends eligibility screening to ammunition transactions, rather than limiting the check to whether a buyer can purchase a firearm. It adds another restriction on access for people who are legally barred from firearm possession.
An illustrative image of a sporting-goods store setting.
The two laws have different start dates. The ammunition measure is in effect now, while the safe-storage provisions begin 90 days after enactment. That distinction will matter for lawful gun owners, sellers and local officials explaining how the new rules apply.
Public-safety message meets election-year debate
Hochul has described keeping New Yorkers safe as her top priority and said she set out to establish one of the nation’s most advanced gun-safety agendas. She has also pointed to record funding for gun-violence prevention programs. In her view, the new laws are intended to keep firearms and ammunition away from people who should not have them.
The signing lands less than two weeks before Election Day, with early voting beginning October 24. Recent polling has shown Hochul leading Blakeman, who has made energy costs and affordability central themes of his campaign.
An illustrative view of an Upstate New York courthouse in autumn.
The timing gives Hochul a fresh opportunity to highlight her public-safety record, while also sharpening a broader debate over gun restrictions and their effect on lawful owners. The election places that debate alongside concerns about household costs and the direction of state policy.
For gun owners, the practical questions include how to meet the storage standard and how the ammunition-check expansion will be applied. County clerks and other local officials involved in firearms-related processes will also be part of the implementation discussion. Statewide sheriffs have raised implementation questions during earlier rounds of gun-safety policy, though no specific new objections were detailed in connection with Wednesday’s signing.
That balance (public-safety goals alongside clear, workable administration) will shape how the measures are understood beyond Albany. The laws set new requirements, but their day-to-day effect will depend on how owners, sellers and local officials navigate the changes.
What New Yorkers need to know
Francesco’s Law applies to all gun owners and custodians, not only those living with children or prohibited people. When a weapon is not in an owner’s immediate possession, it must be secured in a locked container or rendered inoperable with a locking device. Those storage provisions take effect 90 days after enactment.
The ammunition measure is already in effect and bars sales to people prohibited from possessing firearms under state or federal law. Together, the measures expand both the circumstances covered by safe-storage rules and the restrictions applied to ammunition purchases.
New Yorkers will begin early voting on October 24 ahead of the November 3 general election. In the final stretch of the campaign, Hochul’s signing has placed gun safety firmly among the issues confronting voters across New York, from Albany to Upstate communities.