NEW YORK:   In response to the US Supreme Court's June ruling invalidating the state's century-old concealed carry firearms legislation, New York has begun to outlaw the carrying of hidden weapons in specified sensitive places.

The new law, which went into effect on Thursday, prohibits those with concealed carry permits from bringing their firearms into sensitive areas including Times Square, bars, libraries, schools, public buildings, and hospitals.

According to a statement from the New York state government, those who are not excluded from this restriction under the statute may be punished with a crime for breaking its provision on sensitive sites. In conjunction with the commencement of a public awareness campaign, local law enforcement agencies are placing signage in critical areas, as per reports.

According to New York City Mayor Eric Adams, "We will be placing signage at every entry into Times Square telling visitors travelling through that the area is a gun-free zone and that licenced gun carriers and others may not enter with a gun unless otherwise explicitly allowed by law."

Though the Additional York State Rifle & Pistol Association, Inc. v. Bruen judgment by the Supreme Court is a setback in the state's effort to combat gun crime, the New York State legislature passed new regulations restricting the carrying of concealed weapons a few days following the decision.

For more than a century, New York required applicants for concealed carry gun licences to demonstrate "proper cause." However, the Supreme Court decided that this condition was in violation of the Second Amendment.

For those applying for concealed carry permits in New York, background checks, training on firearm safety, and live-fire drills are all strengthened. Permits must also be renewed or recertified every three years rather than every five years. Governor Kathy Hochul also unveiled new licencing and minimum age regulations for semiautomatic rifle ownership that will go into effect on September 4 in reaction to the mass shooting in Buffalo in May.

A person must be at least 21 years old and have a permit prior to purchasing or taking possession of a semiautomatic rifle as per the new rule.

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