Suffolk plan to check psych patients' gun licenses moves forward

Legislators on Suffolk's Public Safety Committee unanimously approved a measure Thursday directing Suffolk police to check the names and addresses of those involuntarily committed for psychiatric treatment against pistol permit registries.

The measure, proposed by Legis. Kara Hahn (D-Setauket) in response to the mass shootings in Newtown, Conn., is expected to go before the full county legislature at Tuesday's meeting in Riverhead.

"What this bill aims to do is connect the dots," Hahn said.

Suffolk police began requiring officers to cross-check the involuntary psychiatric patients against the department's registry of 33,379 handgun permits after Hahn filed her resolution earlier this month.

, the Health Committee unanimously approved a measure sponsored by Legis. William Spencer (D-Centerport) that would launch a countywide public education campaign about side effects associated with energy drinks, but tabled a measure that would ban the distribution of energy drink samples to minors.