The bill, widely expected to pass the Democratic-led Assembly on Tuesday, would make New York the first state to act in response to the school shooting that killed 26 people in Newtown, Conn.
The bill expands New York's assault weapons law to include semiautomatic pistols, rifles and shotguns with detachable magazines and one of several military-style features. New Yorkers who already own weapons banned under the expanded measure would be allowed to keep them but would have to register them with the state.
According to the text of the law, mental health practitioners would be required to report to local mental health officials when they believe a patient is likely to harm themselves or others. Law enforcement officers would then be authorized to confiscate that person's firearms. According to The New York Times, therapists would not be sanctioned for a failure to report such patients if they acted “in good faith.”
The legislature's website said the Assembly vote was scheduled to take place around 11 a.m.
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