It will become illegal in July to sell bulletproof vests to most civilians in New York after the governor signed into law a package of “gun safety measures” in the wake of the mass shooting at a supermarket in Buffalo in May.
Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-N.Y.) signed state Senate Bill 9407B on June 6 making the purchase of a bulletproof body vest a class A misdemeanor for first-time offenders and a class E felony thereafter.
The only exceptions to the law will be for those “engaged or employed in an eligible profession” such as police officers, peace officers, military personnel, and professions designated by the Department of State.Republican state Sen. George Borrello of the 57th senate district, who voted against the package of bills, said the fast-tracked process meant lawmakers didn’t hear from a broader subsection of New Yorkers in professions that sometimes require body armor.
