Cuomo signs ‘red flag’ gun control bill into law – The Buffalo News

ALBANY – Family members, school administrators and law enforcement officials can seek to get guns confiscated from people deemed by courts to be an “extreme risk” to themselves or others, under legislation signed Monday. The “red flag” law, as it’s called, takes effect in 180 days. The Legislature overwhelmingly passed the measure, along with other gun control initiatives, in late January. The other bills – including changes to the gun purchase background check process, bans on bump stock devices and from teachers being able to possess weapons on school grounds – have not yet been acted upon by Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo. The red flag law “will save lives and doesn’t infringe on anyone’s rights," Cuomo said Monday in New York City. Cuomo was joined at a signing ceremony for the red flag bill by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, as well as various gun control advocates, including Linda Beigel Schulman, a Long Island woman whose son, slain schoolteacher Scott Beigel, was among the students and staff killed last year at Florida’s Parkland school mass shooting. “This gun violence issue is a national health epidemic in our country. And Mr. President, if you want to talk about emergencies, this is an emergency,'' Pelosi said. The House in Washington is advancing gun control measures later this week, she said. The legislation was subject to intense debate from gun rights advocates in the Legislature when it passed in January. Among the complaints is the difficulty – and financial expense – individuals will have in trying to get their guns returned if or when they are no longer deemed a threat. Under the new law, school officials, family members and police can apply to the courts to get a “temporary extreme risk protection order” against an individual. If initially approved by a judge, the individual would be banned from

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