S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K ________________________________________________________________________ 7843 I N S E N A T E August 24, 2012 ___________ Introduced by Sen. SMITH -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules AN ACT to amend the penal law, in relation to criminal sale, possession and use of firearms THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM- BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: 1 Section 1. The closing paragraph of section 265.01 of the penal law, 2 as added by chapter 1041 of the laws of 1974, is amended to read as 3 follows: 4 Criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree is a class A 5 misdemeanor; EXCEPT THAT IF SUCH WEAPON IS A FIREARM THEN SUCH OFFENSE 6 SHALL BE A CLASS D FELONY. 7 S 2. The closing paragraph of section 265.02 of the penal law, as 8 amended by chapter 764 of the laws of 2005, is amended to read as 9 follows: 10 Criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree is a class D felo- 11 ny; EXCEPT THAT IF SUCH WEAPON IS A FIREARM THEN SUCH OFFENSE SHALL BE A 12 CLASS C FELONY. 13 S 3. The closing paragraph of section 265.03 of the penal law, as 14 amended by chapter 742 of the laws of 2006, is amended to read as 15 follows: 16 Criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree is a class [C] B 17 felony. 18 S 4. The closing paragraph of section 265.04 of the penal law, as 19 amended by chapter 764 of the laws of 2005, is amended to read as 20 follows: 21 Criminal possession of a weapon in the first degree is a class B felo- 22 ny; EXCEPT THAT IF SUCH WEAPON IS A FIREARM THEN SUCH OFFENSE SHALL BE A 23 CLASS A FELONY. 24 S 5. The closing paragraph of section 265.08 of the penal law, as 25 added by chapter 233 of the laws of 1980, is amended to read as follows: 26 Criminal use of a firearm in the second degree is a class [C] B felo- 27 ny. EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD16461-02-2 S. 7843 2 1 S 6. The closing paragraph of subdivision 1 of section 265.09 of the 2 penal law, as amended by chapter 650 of the laws of 1996, is amended to 3 read as follows: 4 Criminal use of a firearm in the first degree is a class [B] A felony. 5 S 7. Section 265.10 of the penal law, as amended by chapter 189 of the 6 laws of 2000, subdivisions 1 and 2 as amended by chapter 257 of the laws 7 of 2008, is amended to read as follows: 8 S 265.10 Manufacture, transport, disposition and defacement of weapons 9 and dangerous instruments and appliances. 10 1. Any person who manufactures or causes to be manufactured any 11 machine-gun, assault weapon, large capacity ammunition feeding device or 12 disguised gun is guilty of a class [D] C felony. Any person who manufac- 13 tures or causes to be manufactured any switchblade knife, gravity knife, 14 pilum ballistic knife, metal knuckle knife, billy, blackjack, bludgeon, 15 plastic knuckles, metal knuckles, Kung Fu star, chuka stick, sandbag, 16 sandclub or slungshot is guilty of a class A misdemeanor. 17 2. Any person who transports or ships any machine-gun, firearm silenc- 18 er, assault weapon or large capacity ammunition feeding device or 19 disguised gun, or who transports or ships as merchandise five or more 20 firearms, is guilty of a class [D] C felony. Any person who transports 21 or ships as merchandise any firearm, other than an assault weapon, IS 22 GUILTY OF A CLASS D FELONY, ANY PERSON WHO TRANSPORTS OR SHIPS AS 23 MERCHANDISE ANY switchblade knife, gravity knife, pilum ballistic knife, 24 billy, blackjack, bludgeon, plastic knuckles, metal knuckles, Kung Fu 25 star, chuka stick, sandbag or slungshot is guilty of a class A misdemea- 26 nor. 27 3. Any person who disposes of any machine-gun, assault weapon, large 28 capacity ammunition feeding device or firearm silencer is guilty of a 29 class [D] C felony. Any person who knowingly buys, receives, disposes 30 of, or conceals a machine-gun, firearm, large capacity ammunition feed- 31 ing device, rifle or shotgun which has been defaced for the purpose of 32 concealment or prevention of the detection of a crime or misrepresenting 33 the identity of such machine-gun, firearm, large capacity ammunition 34 feeding device, rifle or shotgun is guilty of a class [D] C felony. 35 4. Any person who disposes of any of the weapons, instruments or 36 appliances specified in subdivision one of section 265.01, except a 37 firearm, is guilty of a class A misdemeanor, and he is guilty of a class 38 D felony if he has previously been convicted of any crime. 39 5. Any person who disposes of any of the weapons, instruments, appli- 40 ances or substances specified in section 265.05 to any other person 41 under the age of sixteen years is guilty of a class A misdemeanor. 42 6. Any person who wilfully defaces any machine-gun, large capacity 43 ammunition feeding device or firearm is guilty of a class [D] C felony. 44 7. Any person, other than a wholesale dealer, or gunsmith or dealer in 45 firearms duly licensed pursuant to section 400.00, lawfully in 46 possession of a firearm, who disposes of the same without first notify- 47 ing in writing the licensing officer in the city of New York and coun- 48 ties of Nassau and Suffolk and elsewhere in the state the executive 49 department, division of state police, Albany, is guilty of a class [A 50 misdemeanor] D FELONY. 51 S 8. The closing paragraph of section 265.11 of the penal law, as 52 amended by chapter 764 of the laws of 2005, is amended to read as 53 follows: 54 Criminal sale of a firearm in the third degree is a class [D] C felo- 55 ny. S. 7843 3 1 S 9. The closing paragraph of section 265.12 of the penal law, as 2 amended by chapter 764 of the laws of 2005, is amended to read as 3 follows: 4 Criminal sale of a firearm in the second degree is a class [C] B felo- 5 ny. 6 S 10. The closing paragraph of section 265.13 of the penal law, as 7 amended by chapter 764 of the laws of 2005, is amended to read as 8 follows: 9 Criminal sale of a firearm in the first degree is a class [B] A felo- 10 ny. 11 S 11. The closing paragraph of section 265.14 of the penal law, as 12 amended by chapter 654 of the laws of 1998, is amended to read as 13 follows: 14 Criminal sale of a firearm with the aid of a minor is a class [C] B 15 felony. 16 S 12. The closing paragraph of section 265.16 of the penal law, as 17 amended by chapter 654 of the laws of 1998, is amended to read as 18 follows: 19 Criminal sale of a firearm to a minor is a class [C] B felony. 20 S 13. The closing paragraph of section 265.17 of the penal law, as 21 added by chapter 189 of the laws of 2000, is amended to read as follows: 22 Criminal purchase of a weapon is a class [A misdemeanor] D FELONY. 23 S 14. Section 265.35 of the penal law, subdivisions 1, 2 and 3 as 24 renumbered by chapter 1041 of the laws of 1974, is amended to read as 25 follows: 26 S 265.35 Prohibited use of weapons. 27 1. Any person hunting with a dangerous weapon in any county wholly 28 embraced within the territorial limits of a city is guilty of a class A 29 misdemeanor. WHERE SUCH DANGEROUS WEAPON IS A FIREARM SUCH PERSON IS 30 GUILTY OF A CLASS D FELONY. 31 2. Any person who wilfully discharges a loaded firearm or any other 32 gun, the propelling force of which is gunpowder, at an aircraft while 33 such aircraft is in motion in the air or in motion or stationary upon 34 the ground, or at any railway or street railroad train as defined by the 35 public service law, or at a locomotive, car, bus or vehicle standing or 36 moving upon such railway, railroad or public highway, is guilty of a 37 class [D] C felony if thereby the safety of any person is endangered, 38 and in every other case, of a class [E] D felony. 39 3. Any person who, otherwise than in self defense or in the discharge 40 of official duty, (a) wilfully discharges any species of firearms, air- 41 gun or other weapon, or throws any other deadly missile, either in a 42 public place, or in any place where there is any person to be endangered 43 thereby, or, in Putnam county, within one-quarter mile of any occupied 44 school building other than under supervised instruction by properly 45 authorized instructors although no injury to any person ensues; (b) 46 intentionally, without malice, points or aims any firearm or any other 47 gun, the propelling force of which is gunpowder, at or toward any other 48 person; (c) discharges, without injury to any other person, firearms or 49 any other guns, the propelling force of which is gunpowder, while inten- 50 tionally without malice, aimed at or toward any person; or (d) maims or 51 injures any other person by the discharge of any firearm or any other 52 gun, the propelling force of which is gunpowder, pointed or aimed inten- 53 tionally, but without malice, at any such person, is guilty of a class 54 [A misdemeanor] D FELONY. 55 S 15. Subdivision 1 of section 70.02 of the penal law, as separately 56 amended by chapters 764 and 765 of the laws of 2005, paragraph (a) as S. 7843 4 1 amended by chapter 320 of the laws of 2006, paragraph (b) as amended by 2 chapter 148 of the laws of 2011, paragraph (c) as amended by chapter 405 3 of the laws of 2010 and paragraph (d) as amended by chapter 7 of the 4 laws of 2007, is amended to read as follows: 5 1. Definition of a violent felony offense. A violent felony offense is 6 A CLASS A VIOLENT FELONY OFFENSE, a class B violent felony offense, a 7 class C violent felony offense, a class D violent felony offense, or a 8 class E violent felony offense, defined as follows: 9 (a) CLASS A VIOLENT FELONY OFFENSES: CRIMINAL POSSESSION OF A WEAPON 10 IN THE FIRST DEGREE AS DEFINED IN SECTION 265.04 WHERE THE WEAPON IS A 11 FIREARM, CRIMINAL USE OF A FIREARM IN THE FIRST DEGREE AS DEFINED IN 12 SECTION 265.09, AND CRIMINAL SALE OF A FIREARM IN THE FIRST DEGREE AS 13 DEFINED IN SECTION 265.13. 14 (B) Class B violent felony offenses: an attempt to commit the class 15 A-I felonies of murder in the second degree as defined in section 16 125.25, kidnapping in the first degree as defined in section 135.25, and 17 arson in the first degree as defined in section 150.20; manslaughter in 18 the first degree as defined in section 125.20, aggravated manslaughter 19 in the first degree as defined in section 125.22, rape in the first 20 degree as defined in section 130.35, criminal sexual act in the first 21 degree as defined in section 130.50, aggravated sexual abuse in the 22 first degree as defined in section 130.70, course of sexual conduct 23 against a child in the first degree as defined in section 130.75; 24 assault in the first degree as defined in section 120.10, kidnapping in 25 the second degree as defined in section 135.20, burglary in the first 26 degree as defined in section 140.30, arson in the second degree as 27 defined in section 150.15, robbery in the first degree as defined in 28 section 160.15, incest in the first degree as defined in section 255.27, 29 criminal possession of a weapon in the first degree as defined in 30 section 265.04 WHERE THE WEAPON IS NOT A FIREARM, [criminal use of a 31 firearm in the first degree as defined in section 265.09, criminal sale 32 of a firearm in the first degree as defined in section 265.13,] CRIMINAL 33 POSSESSION OF A WEAPON IN THE SECOND DEGREE AS DEFINED IN SECTION 34 265.03, CRIMINAL USE OF A FIREARM IN THE SECOND DEGREE AS DEFINED IN 35 SECTION 265.08, CRIMINAL SALE OF A FIREARM IN THE SECOND DEGREE AS 36 DEFINED IN SECTION 265.12, CRIMINAL SALE OF A FIREARM WITH THE AID OF A 37 MINOR AS DEFINED IN 265.14, aggravated assault upon a police officer or 38 a peace officer as defined in section 120.11, gang assault in the first 39 degree as defined in section 120.07, intimidating a victim or witness in 40 the first degree as defined in section 215.17, hindering prosecution of 41 terrorism in the first degree as defined in section 490.35, criminal 42 possession of a chemical weapon or biological weapon in the second 43 degree as defined in section 490.40, and criminal use of a chemical 44 weapon or biological weapon in the third degree as defined in section 45 490.47. 46 [(b)] (C) Class C violent felony offenses: an attempt to commit any of 47 the class B felonies set forth in paragraph [(a)] (B) of this subdivi- 48 sion; aggravated criminally negligent homicide as defined in section 49 125.11, aggravated manslaughter in the second degree as defined in 50 section 125.21, aggravated sexual abuse in the second degree as defined 51 in section 130.67, assault on a peace officer, police officer, fireman 52 or emergency medical services professional as defined in section 120.08, 53 assault on a judge as defined in section 120.09, gang assault in the 54 second degree as defined in section 120.06, strangulation in the first 55 degree as defined in section 121.13, burglary in the second degree as 56 defined in section 140.25, robbery in the second degree as defined in S. 7843 5 1 section 160.10, [criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree as 2 defined in section 265.03, criminal use of a firearm in the second 3 degree as defined in section 265.08, criminal sale of a firearm in the 4 second degree as defined in section 265.12, criminal sale of a firearm 5 with the aid of a minor as defined in section 265.14,] CRIMINAL 6 POSSESSION OF A WEAPON IN THE THIRD DEGREE AS DEFINED IN SUBDIVISION 7 FIVE, SIX, SEVEN OR EIGHT OF SECTION 265.02 WHERE THE WEAPON IS A 8 FIREARM, CRIMINAL SALE OF A FIREARM IN THE THIRD DEGREE AS DEFINED IN 9 SECTION 265.11, soliciting or providing support for an act of terrorism 10 in the first degree as defined in section 490.15, hindering prosecution 11 of terrorism in the second degree as defined in section 490.30, and 12 criminal possession of a chemical weapon or biological weapon in the 13 third degree as defined in section 490.37. 14 [(c)] (D) Class D violent felony offenses: an attempt to commit any of 15 the class C felonies set forth in paragraph [(b)] (C); reckless assault 16 of a child as defined in section 120.02, assault in the second degree as 17 defined in section 120.05, menacing a police officer or peace officer as 18 defined in section 120.18, stalking in the first degree, as defined in 19 subdivision one of section 120.60, strangulation in the second degree as 20 defined in section 121.12, rape in the second degree as defined in 21 section 130.30, criminal sexual act in the second degree as defined in 22 section 130.45, sexual abuse in the first degree as defined in section 23 130.65, course of sexual conduct against a child in the second degree as 24 defined in section 130.80, aggravated sexual abuse in the third degree 25 as defined in section 130.66, facilitating a sex offense with a 26 controlled substance as defined in section 130.90, criminal possession 27 of a weapon in the [third] FOURTH degree as defined in [subdivision 28 five, six, seven or eight of] section [265.02] 265.01 WHERE THE WEAPON 29 IS A FIREARM, [criminal sale of a firearm in the third degree as defined 30 in section 265.11,] AN ATTEMPT TO COMMIT ANY OF THE FELONIES OF CRIMINAL 31 POSSESSION IN THE THIRD DEGREE AS DEFINED IN SUBDIVISION FIVE, SIX, 32 SEVEN OR EIGHT OF SECTION 265.02 AS A LESSER INCLUDED OFFENSE OF THAT 33 SECTION AS DEFINED IN SECTION 220.20 OF THE CRIMINAL PROCEDURE LAW, 34 intimidating a victim or witness in the second degree as defined in 35 section 215.16, soliciting or providing support for an act of terrorism 36 in the second degree as defined in section 490.10, and making a terror- 37 istic threat as defined in section 490.20, falsely reporting an incident 38 in the first degree as defined in section 240.60, placing a false bomb 39 or hazardous substance in the first degree as defined in section 240.62, 40 placing a false bomb or hazardous substance in a sports stadium or 41 arena, mass transportation facility or enclosed shopping mall as defined 42 in section 240.63, and aggravated unpermitted use of indoor pyrotechnics 43 in the first degree as defined in section 405.18. 44 [(d)] (E) Class E violent felony offenses: an attempt to commit any of 45 the felonies of criminal possession of a weapon in the [third] FOURTH 46 degree as defined in [subdivision five, six, seven or eight of] section 47 [265.02] 265.01 WHERE THE WEAPON IS A FIREARM as a lesser included 48 offense of that section as defined in section 220.20 of the criminal 49 procedure law, persistent sexual abuse as defined in section 130.53, 50 aggravated sexual abuse in the fourth degree as defined in section 51 130.65-a, falsely reporting an incident in the second degree as defined 52 in section 240.55 and placing a false bomb or hazardous substance in the 53 second degree as defined in section 240.61. 54 S 16. Subdivision 3 of section 70.02 of the penal law, as amended by 55 chapter 765 of the laws of 2005, is amended to read as follows: S. 7843 6 1 3. Term of sentence. The term of a determinate sentence for a violent 2 felony offense must be fixed by the court as follows: 3 (a) FOR A CLASS A FELONY, THE TERM MUST BE AT LEAST TEN YEARS AND MUST 4 NOT EXCEED TWENTY-FIVE YEARS; 5 (B) For a class B felony, the term must be at least five years and 6 must not exceed twenty-five years, provided, however, that the term must 7 be: (i) at least ten years and must not exceed thirty years where the 8 sentence is for the crime of aggravated assault upon a police officer or 9 peace officer as defined in section 120.11 of this chapter; and (ii) at 10 least ten years and must not exceed thirty years where the sentence is 11 for the crime of aggravated manslaughter in the first degree as defined 12 in section 125.22 of this chapter; 13 [(b)] (C) For a class C felony, the term must be at least three and 14 one-half years and must not exceed fifteen years, provided, however, 15 that the term must be: (i) at least seven years and must not exceed 16 twenty years where the sentence is for the crime of aggravated 17 manslaughter in the second degree as defined in section 125.21 of this 18 chapter; (ii) at least seven years and must not exceed twenty years 19 where the sentence is for the crime of attempted aggravated assault upon 20 a police officer or peace officer as defined in section 120.11 of this 21 chapter; and (iii) at least three and one-half years and must not exceed 22 twenty years where the sentence is for the crime of aggravated criminal- 23 ly negligent homicide as defined in section 125.11 of this chapter; 24 [(c)] (D) For a class D felony, the term must be at least two years 25 and must not exceed seven years, provided, however, that the term must 26 be: (I) at least two years and must not exceed eight years where the 27 sentence is for the crime of menacing a police officer or peace officer 28 as defined in section 120.18 of this chapter; AND (II) AT LEAST FIVE 29 YEARS AND MUST NOT EXCEED EIGHT YEARS WHERE THE SENTENCE IS FOR THE 30 CRIME OF CRIMINAL POSSESSION OF A WEAPON IN THE FOURTH DEGREE AS DEFINED 31 IN SECTION 265.01 OF THIS CHAPTER IF SUCH WEAPON IS A FIREARM; and 32 [(d)] (E) For a class E felony, the term must be at least one and 33 one-half years and must not exceed four years. 34 S 17. Paragraph (c) of subdivision 2 of section 70.02 of the penal 35 law, as amended by chapter 764 of the laws of 2005, is amended to read 36 as follows: 37 (c) Except as provided in subdivision six of section 60.05, the 38 sentence imposed upon a person who stands convicted of the class [D] (C) 39 violent felony offenses of criminal possession of a weapon in the third 40 degree as defined in subdivision four, five, seven or eight of section 41 265.02, criminal sale of a firearm in the third degree as defined in 42 section 265.11 or the class E violent felonies of attempted criminal 43 possession of a weapon in the third degree as defined in subdivision 44 four, five, seven or eight of section 265.02 must be a sentence to a 45 determinate period of imprisonment, or, in the alternative, a definite 46 sentence of imprisonment for a period of no less than one year, except 47 that: 48 (i) the court may impose any other sentence authorized by law upon a 49 person who has not been previously convicted in the five years imme- 50 diately preceding the commission of the offense for a class A misdemea- 51 nor defined in this chapter, if the court having regard to the nature 52 and circumstances of the crime and to the history and character of the 53 defendant, finds on the record that such sentence would be unduly harsh 54 and that the alternative sentence would be consistent with public safety 55 and does not deprecate the seriousness of the crime; and S. 7843 7 1 (ii) the court may apply the provisions of paragraphs (b) and (c) of 2 subdivision four of this section when imposing a sentence upon a person 3 who has previously been convicted of a class A misdemeanor defined in 4 this chapter in the five years immediately preceding the commission of 5 the offense. 6 S 18. Paragraph (a) of subdivision 2 of section 70.02 of the penal 7 law, as amended by chapter 764 of the laws of 2005, is amended to read 8 as follows: 9 (a) Except as provided in subdivision six of section 60.05, the 10 sentence imposed upon a person who stands convicted of a class A, B or 11 class C violent felony offense must be a determinate sentence of impri- 12 sonment which shall be in whole or half years. The term of such sentence 13 must be in accordance with the provisions of subdivision three of this 14 section. 15 S 19. Paragraph (a) of subdivision 2 of section 70.02 of the penal 16 law, as amended by chapter 233 of the laws of 1980, is amended to read 17 as follows: 18 (a) The sentence imposed upon a person who stands convicted of a class 19 A, B or class C violent felony offense must be an indeterminate sentence 20 of imprisonment. Except as provided in subdivision five of section 21 60.05, the maximum term of such sentence must be in accordance with the 22 provisions of subdivision three of this section and the minimum period 23 of imprisonment under such sentence must be in accordance with subdivi- 24 sion four of this section. 25 S 20. This act shall take effect immediately and shall apply to 26 offenses committed on and after such date; provided that the amendments 27 to paragraph (a) of subdivision 2 of section 70.02 of the penal law made 28 by section eighteen of this act shall be subject to the expiration and 29 reversion of such paragraph when upon such date the provisions of 30 section nineteen of this act shall take effect.