Point

Why New York’s Senate Bill S5974
Is a Backdoor Gun Ban

New York’s proposed Senate Bill S5974 might not include the word “confiscation,” but make no mistake, this bill is a direct assault on lawful gun ownership in the state. By requiring all gun owners to carry a $1 million liability insurance policy or face immediate revocation of their license and registration, the bill erects a nearly insurmountable barrier to exercising a constitutional right.

At first glance, it might seem reasonable: if you own a deadly weapon, shouldn’t you be insured in case of an accident? But in reality, liability insurance for gun use is difficult, if not impossible to obtain, particularly in New York.

Many major insurance providers do not offer firearm liability policies for individual gun owners. After criticism from lawmakers and gun control advocates, providers like NRA-endorsed Carry Guard were shut down in New York for allegedly promoting “murder insurance.” Others simply avoid the space due to liability concerns and regulatory red tape.

So what happens when someone wants to comply but literally can’t find an insurer willing to underwrite a policy? They’re stripped of their license, their gun becomes illegal, and they’re left vulnerable to prosecution, all without doing anything wrong.

The bill also imposes financial burdens that disproportionately affect working-class and marginalized gun owners. Even if a $1 million policy becomes available, it won’t be cheap, and similar umbrella policies can cost hundreds or thousands of dollars annually.

For law-abiding citizens in rough neighborhoods, single parents, veterans, and retirees on fixed incomes, that’s a de facto ban on gun ownership. Wealthy people can write a check. The rest are forced to disarm or risk becoming criminals.

S5974 also contains a chilling provision: gun owners are still legally “in possession” of their firearm until they report it lost or stolen to law enforcement. That means if your home is burglarized and you don’t realize the gun is missing immediately, you could be held liable for damages caused by someone else.

This shifts the legal burden dramatically, and unfairly, onto gun owners, turning victims of theft into suspects overnight.

Let’s be clear: criminals aren’t buying insurance. They’re not registering their guns, applying for permits, or jumping through bureaucratic hoops. This bill only impacts people who are trying to follow the law. It does nothing to reduce illegal gun violence in places like New York City, where most shootings involve illegally obtained weapons.

Instead, S5974 targets the very people most committed to safe, responsible gun ownership.

Senate Bill S5974 isn’t about safety it’s about using insurance mandates to make gun ownership so complicated, expensive, and risky that people give up their rights altogether.

It’s a clever workaround for those who know they can’t repeal the Second Amendment but can price you out of exercising it.