A measure that would prohibit a fee on gun owners registering their pistol permits every five years is being introduced by Assemblyman Ken Zebrowski, a Rockland County Democrat, his office announced this afternoon.

This is the second chapter amendment to be introduced to add to the gun control package that Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed into law this week.

Republican Sen. Phil Boyle, a Long Island lawmaker who voted yes, said he would introduce a measure that would carve out exemptions for law enforcement officers.

Provisions in the measure require that gun owners must re-register their firearms every fiv years. The law also creates registry system for owners to register newly classified assault rifles

Though the law doesn’t include a plan to collect a fee for the renewal of a permit, Zebrowski says that needs to be clarified outright.

“I think it is important that we explicitly clarify the law so that no fees can ever be imposed for these programs in the future”, Zebrowski said in a statement. “I am happy the current administration has no plans to collect a fee, however, I think it is important that we assure gun owners that these programs are purely about public safety and can never be used as a tax.”

The law also creates statewide database of pistol permits with the State Police, which would not be subject to the state’s Freedom of Information Law.

Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver has said the changes expected to be made to the gun control law are needed in order to clarify some of the measure’s language.

Critics of the law have said the need to clarify the measure in order to exempt law enforcement is a sign that measure was rushed through the legislative process with far too little review.

Share|