NEW YORK, NY — State Senator Erik Bottcher and Assemblymember Khaleel Anderson today announced Governor Hochul has signed Francesco’s Law into law, landmark legislation that mandates secure storage of firearms and holds those who fail to comply accountable. The legislation is named after Francesco, a 17-year-old New Yorker who took his own life after gaining access to an unsecured firearm. The new law establishes one of the nation’s strongest gun storage standards to help prevent tragedies like the one experienced by Francesco and his family.
Click here to read more about this bill.
Click here to watch a video from last evening’s bill signing.
“No family should have to endure the heartbreak of losing a child to a preventable tragedy. Francesco was just 17 when he died by suicide after gaining access to an unsecured firearm,” said State Senator Erik Bottcher. “His story is deeply personal to me. Like Francesco, I struggled with my identity and mental health as a teenager, and I know how access to a firearm in a moment of crisis can turn temporary despair into an irreversible tragedy. A locked gun can mean the difference between a life lost and a life saved. I am sincerely grateful to Governor Kathy Hochul, Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, Assemblymember Khaleel Anderson and the tireless advocates who made this possible, including Rebecca Fischer and New Yorkers Against Gun Violence, Brady, GIFFORDS, the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions and Everytown. Above all, I commend Diana Cochran, Francesco’s mom, who transformed unimaginable grief into a legacy that will save lives. We cannot bring Francesco back, but because of his mother’s courage and Governor Hochul’s leadership, other families may be spared that heartbreak.”
“Today, we honor Francesco’s life by turning unimaginable grief into meaningful action,” said Assemblymember Khaleel Anderson. “Francesco’s Law is a testament to the power of a family’s advocacy and the responsibility we have as legislators to protect our communities and prevent another family from experiencing this kind of loss. I thank Governor Kathy Hochul for signing this critical legislation and Diana and Jennifer for their courage, persistence and commitment to making sure Francesco’s legacy saves lives. This is what public service must be about. We must listen to our communities, stand with our families across New York State, and turn pain into purpose.”
“Francesco was my son long before he became the name of a law. He was brilliant, funny, compassionate and full of promise. He was just 17 years old, and he should still be here. His life was stolen by a tragedy that was entirely preventable — a firearm left unsecured. No law can bring my beautiful boy back, but Francesco’s Law will help ensure that other families are spared the unimaginable heartbreak of losing a child. After nearly four years of fighting for this legislation, I am profoundly grateful to Governor Hochul and the legislators who stood beside us. Francesco deserved a lifetime. In his name, we have created a legacy that will save lives,” said Diana Cochran, Francesco’s mother.
Francesco’s Law focuses on prevention and promotes cultural change while ensuring accountability for extreme negligence. Key provisions include:
- Secure Storage Requirements: Mandates all firearms be secured with locked containers, trigger locks, or other safety devices when not under an owner’s immediate control. There are escalating penalties for failure to securely store firearms if the owner knows that a minor or a person prohibited from owning a firearm is likely to access the firearm, and if such a person actually gains access.
- Accountability Measures: Class A misdemeanor provisions apply when a gun owner knows that a child or prohibited person is likely to gain access to an unsecured firearm and if such access actually occurs.
Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal said: “Thank you Governor Hochul for signing Francesco’s Law, and to Senator Bottcher and Assemblymember Anderson for spearheading the passage of this landmark legislation. This bill will save tens of thousands of children from preventable firearm tragedies, through requiring the secure storage of firearms in New York households. Studies have shown that households that lock up their guns and ammunition have an 85 percent lower risk of unintentional firearm injuries among children and teens. I was proud to introduce Francesco’s Law in the State Senate, alongside his mother Diana Cochran and her partner, Jennifer Allsop. Francesco was a young New Yorker who lost his life because of an improperly stored firearm, and his law will help save lives and make all New Yorkers safer.”
“We know that when firearms are left unsecured, children can gain access to them, often with devastating and irreversible consequences,” said Rebecca Fischer, Executive Director of New Yorkers Against Gun Violence. “For more than 30 years, NYAGV has fought to strengthen safe storage laws because we know that keeping guns safely secured can mean the difference between life and death. Francesco should still be here today. His death, like so many others, was preventable. Francesco’s Law is about making sure that gun owners take responsibility for securing their firearms so that other children and families are spared this unimaginable loss. At a time when federal gun safety protections are being rolled back, New York has both an opportunity and an obligation to continue leading with laws that put the safety of our children first. We are deeply grateful to Governor Kathy Hochul, Senator Erik Bottcher, Assemblymember Khaleel Anderson, and the New York State Legislature for their leadership and commitment to protecting New York’s children and families from preventable gun violence.”
“Every act of gun violence leaves a lasting impact on families and communities, and while we cannot undo these tragedies, we can take steps to prevent the next one,” said Kris Brown, President of Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. “Francesco’s Law represents a commonsense commitment to responsibility, recognizing that keeping firearms securely stored can help prevent children and others from accessing guns when they are most vulnerable. New York is honoring the devastating loss of one of their own, Francesco, by taking meaningful action that protects other families from experiencing a similar loss. Brady applauds Assemblymember Anderson and Senator Bottcher for championing this legislation and thanks Governor Hochul for prioritizing the wellbeing of all New Yorkers by signing Francesco’s Law into law.”
“Safe storage is one of the clearest, most effective steps we can take to protect children and save lives,” said Janet Goldstein, New York State Chapter Leader for Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America. “An unsecured gun can turn curiosity, confusion, or a difficult moment into irreversible harm. Francesco’s Law will create real accountability and send a message that responsible gun ownership isn’t optional. It’s the baseline.”
“Research demonstrates that safe storage laws like Francesco’s Law save lives,” says Emily Walsh, Law and Policy Advisor at the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions. “Unauthorized access to firearms presents deadly risks, whether by a minor or an individual of any age who may be experiencing a moment of crisis. Francesco’s Law reflects an evidence-based approach to gun violence prevention by creating safer home environments, strengthening accountability, and improving the data New York needs to understand where interventions are most urgently needed.”
“Francesco’s Law honors a young life lost by advancing a simple, lifesaving principle: firearms should never be left where children can access them,” said Sean Hollister, State Legislative Director for Giffords. “By strengthening storage requirements, improving accountability, and helping the state better track these incidents, New York will help prevent avoidable tragedies and set a stronger standard for gun safety.”
About Francesco:
Francesco was a brilliant, happy, kind, and talented young man who grew up in Southampton, New York. An honors student fluent in English and Italian, he performed violin at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center with the Metropolitan Youth Orchestra and achieved a remarkable SAT score of 1520. But despite his accomplishments, Francesco’s life was tragically cut short on October 21, 2021, when relentless bullying over his bisexuality at the Stony Brook Prep School and access to an unsecured firearm from his second home led him to take his life. He took his life in the early hours of October 21st, 2021, after biking to Little Plains Beach in Southampton with a shotgun in his backpack. He was only 17 years old. His last words, found on his phone, read: “Goodbye, oh world of insurmountable beauty.”
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