Assembly passes ‘Francesco’s Law’ requiring stronger safe-storage, reporting rules for firearms

The Assembly on a bipartisan vote approved legislation known as “Francesco’s Law” that tightens safe-storage expectations for firearms and requires statewide reporting of incidents in which unsecured guns are accessed by minors or other prohibited people.

Supporters framed the bill around the 2021 death of a 17‑year‑old, Francesco, who used an unsecured family firearm to take his own life. Assemblymember Khaleel Anderson, the bill sponsor, said the measure will combine public education, data collection and clearer accountability to reduce youth access to guns and prevent deaths.

The sponsor and backers said the bill does three things: it clarifies safe‑storage responsibilities for guns kept in homes; it directs the Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) to collect statewide data about incidents in which unsecured firearms are accessed by minors or by people legally prohibited from possessing firearms; and it creates a misdemeanor in cases where a minor or prohibited person obtains a firearm because it was not properly secured.

The measure keeps a number of narrow exceptions — for example, lawful uses such as hunting, lawful self‑defense, museum displays and certain law enforcement or transport situations — and does not change the existing licensing scheme for gun owners. The sponsor stressed that the bill aligns New York with the “gold standard” for safe‑storage statutes adopted in several other states.

Lawmakers who supported the bill described repeated examples of children and teens who find unsecured firearms and are harmed or kill themselves, and they cited research showing a substantial share of youth firearm deaths are suicides. Several members of the Assembly pointed to the bill’s reporting requirement as a practical tool to target outreach and education where gaps are largest.

Opponents said they generally back safe storage but warned the bill could create practical problems for people who keep firearms for self‑defense, hunters who transport weapons, and small police departments that must store seized weapons. Questions included whether a homeowner who temporarily lets a friend keep a firearm at their house would become vulnerable to prosecution if an unanticipated incident followed, and how quickly officers must return a temporarily seized weapon if no charges are brought.

Sponsor Anderson told the chamber the measure was drafted with such practicalities in mind and that DCJS already collects police data and would be given authority and new guidance to collect the specific data required by the bill. Supporters said the bill is narrowly tailored to target unsecured‑gun access that leads to accidents and suicide while preserving lawful uses.

The Assembly recorded 93 votes in favor and 48 against. The bill will proceed to the Senate and — if enacted — will take effect immediately under the bill’s terms.

For context: the debate in the Assembly included testimony from lawmakers who said they had met the family of Francesco, and from members who urged adding school‑based education on safe handling. Opponents repeatedly raised concerns about how the bill would operate in urgent self‑defense situations and about the administrative burden on local policing and court systems. Supporters said those concerns can be addressed through implementation and stressed that the statutory exceptions and the use of a misdemeanor tier rather than a felony are meant to balance public safety and legitimate firearm ownership.

Votes at a glance - Francesco’s Law (safe‑storage/reporting bill): Passed in the Assembly, Ayes 93, Noes 48.

What’s next The bill will move to the Senate for consideration. If signed into law, DCJS will be required to stand up reporting and outreach work, and local police agencies will be expected to follow the statute’s storage and temporary‑seizure rules as described in the bill.