NY Governor Andrew M. Cuomo signed legislation prohibiting state teachers from carrying guns in schools, and a second that streamlines the state’s gun buyback program.

"The answer to the gun violence epidemic plaguing this country has never been and never will be more guns, and today we're expanding New York's nation-leading gun safety laws to further protect our children," Governor Cuomo said. "These measures will help slow the proliferation of guns by keeping unneeded firearms out of school zones and helping to ensure unwanted or illegal guns don't fall into dangerous hands."

S.101A/A.1715 stipulates that educational institutions can't issue written authorization to carry a gun to any teacher, professor, administrator or other person who is not primarily employed as a school resource officer, law enforcement officer or security guard. The bill takes effect immediately.

S.2449/A.2685 directs the State Police to work with the Department of State to establish regulations for gun buyback programs so that all buyback programs across the state are operated consistently with uniform best practices, and that the programs take place in every county in the state. According to the legislation, the standards will help ensure that gun buyback programs accomplish their stated goals of reducing the proliferation of guns in our neighborhood and that the programs are easily accessible to the public. The bill will take effect 180 days after becoming law.