Thursday, 14 October 1999
New York City closes loophole, passes trigger-lock law
NEW YORK (A) - New York City gun owners will have to use trigger locks or face up to a year in jail under a new law passed yesterday by the City Council.
The unanimous vote closed a loophole in a 1998 law that made gun sellers responsible for issuing safety devices but didn't require gun owners to use them. Mayor Rudolph Giuliani supports the added requirement.
"Every maximum protection we can provide to protect children from guns and any effort to make adults responsible for gun safety are worth pursuing,'' said City Council Speaker Peter Vallone.
Chicago, San Francisco and Massachusetts have similar trigger-lock requirements. New Jersey Gov. Christie Whitman signed a bill Tuesday requiring that trigger locks or gun storage lockers be sold with every handgun purchased at stores and gun shows. California passed a similar law earlier this year.