Summary — Assembly Bill A1191 (A1191A)
Title: Requires the Division of Criminal Justice Services to study the technological viability of personalized firearms
Note: The official bill text provided in the materials appears to be garbled/incorrect. This summary is based on the bill title, sponsors, legislative history, and usual practice for studies of this type. Consult the final bill text or legislative web site for exact statutory language, deadlines, and reporting requirements.
Purpose / Intent
A1191 directs the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) to examine the technological viability of “personalized firearms” (sometimes called smart guns) — firearms that include technology to restrict use to authorized users (for example biometrics, RFID or other user-authentication systems). The study is intended to evaluate whether such technologies are reliable, safe, available, and appropriate to inform future policy or procurement decisions.
Key provisions (expected / typical)
- Requires DCJS to conduct a comprehensive study on personalized firearm technologies.
- Study topics likely to include:
- Technical feasibility and reliability of current authentication technologies (biometrics, token-based, electronic locks, etc.).
- Safety, failure modes, durability and performance in real-world conditions (including law enforcement contexts).
- Availability and maturity of products from manufacturers and market readiness.
- Cost estimates for adoption, manufacture, and maintenance.
- Interoperability with existing firearms and standards development needs.
- Legal, regulatory, privacy and civil‑liberties implications (data storage, biometric privacy).
- Potential impacts on crime, accidental shootings, suicide prevention, and law enforcement use.
- Recommendations for statutory, regulatory, procurement or pilot program actions (if any).
- Deliverables: DCJS would be expected to produce a written report with findings and recommendations to the Governor and Legislature (specific deadlines or reporting dates should be confirmed in the bill text).
Who would be affected
- Division of Criminal Justice Services: responsible for conducting the study.
- Law enforcement agencies and state procurement officials: study may examine operational impacts and procurement options.
- Firearm manufacturers, sellers and trade groups: subject of market and technical assessment.
- Firearm owners and the general public: potential eventual policy changes could affect purchases, safety standards or availability.
- Civil liberties and privacy stakeholders: issues around biometric data and user authentication may be addressed.
Potential impact
- Inform future state policy decisions on whether to adopt incentives, standards, procurement preferences, pilot programs, or legal requirements for personalized firearms.
- Provide a factual foundation on technical readiness and costs, shaping debates on firearm safety technology.
- Could influence manufacturers’ product development if state procurement or incentives are pursued.
Legislative status & timeline
- Introduced in the Assembly: January 9, 2024.
- Passed Assembly: May 14, 2025; delivered to the Senate the same day.
- Referred in the Senate to Finance (and Codes / Ways and Means during Assembly process); reported and ordered to third reading.
- June 9, 2025: Recalled/returned to Assembly, and recorded as “AMENDED ON THIRD READING (T) 1191A.” Current status: amended on third reading (A1191A).
- Sponsors: Primary sponsor Assemblymember Alex Bores; multiple cosponsors including Jonathan Jacobson, MaryJane Shimsky, Jo Anne Simon, Dana Levenberg, Demond Meeks, Jessica Gonzalez‑Rojas, Deborah Glick, William Colton, Rebecca Seawright, Catalina Cruz, David Weprin, Harvey Epstein, and Amy Paulin.
- Related/companion Senate bills: S3088, S1455.
Next steps / where to find the full text
Because the posted text was not available in the packet you provided, consult the New York State Assembly or legislative tracking site for:
- The final A1191A text (to see exact scope, deadlines and reporting recipients), and
- Any fiscal notes or agency comments that specify timelines and costs for the study.
If you’d like, I can locate and summarize the final bill text and any DCJS fiscal/reporting language once I retrieve it from the legislative website.
