New York lawmakers announce gun safety actions in response to proposed federal rollbacks

BY Natalie Mooney Onondaga County

PUBLISHED 7:04 PM ET Aug. 03, 2026

It could soon become easier to legally purchase a firearm in the United States. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives proposed a slew of changes to gun safety regulations in what it’s calling a “New Era of Reform.”

In response, New York lawmakers are working to ensure certain protections stay on the books.

What You Need To Know

• This spring, the ATF proposed 30 changes to gun safety regulations, including allowing for the complete online sale of firearms
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• In response, Gov. Kathy Hochul last week announced gun safety actions, including legislation that would keep gun sales in person in New York
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• The ATF’s proposal is undergoing public comment

As it stands, firearm buyers shopping online have to order from a licensed gun store and do their identification verification and paperwork in person before being able to pick up their purchase.

Timothy Nelson sells guns at Intimidator Sports in Onondaga County. It’s a role he takes seriously.

“I don’t want nobody to get hurt with something that I sold ‘em, you know?” Nelson said. “There’s a lot, a lot of responsibility that comes with it.”

Nelson said that meeting his customers in person makes it harder for firearms to get into the wrong hands.

“You can get a pretty good feel for somebody, what they’re going to do with it, what they need it for,” Nelson said. “And it’s up to us, the onus is on us, to make sure that we’re comfortable with them.”

Nelson said a purchase denial is not uncommon.

“We contact our sheriffs when that happens, or ATF, and tell them, ‘hey, we denied this customer, you may have approved it, but we denied it and here’s the reasons why,’” Nelson said.

But federal firearm regulation rollbacks could allow the entire firearm purchasing process to take place online — something that worries both Nelson and anti-violence advocates like Clifford Ryan.

“To be able to gauge that person and... kind of probe for, you know, what their intent is as far as that’s concerned is very important,” Ryan said.

In response to the proposed rollbacks, Gov. Kathy Hochul says New York is prioritizing enforcement and education efforts and will introduce legislation that would require firearm sales to be done in person.

Ryan, who started the nonprofit OG’s Against Violence after his son was shot and killed, says he supports Hochul’s actions.

“It’s a pretty trying time for a family, and it’s one of the reasons why I support any gun laws that are put in place that can help deter something such as the tragedy that we faced,” he said.

The ATF says these new rules would reduce the burden on law-abiding citizens and modernize what’s described as an outdated purchasing process.

But Nelson argues the current process, though arduous, is necessary to help ensure legal weapons aren’t used for illegal purposes.

“It’s time-consuming,” Nelson said, “But that’s OK, it works out for everybody in the long run.”

The ATF’s proposed changes have not been made official yet. That proposal is still in the public comment period phase, which ends Aug. 6.