This is my attempt to compile a list of bills we may be interested in that are currently in Committee that may be up for discussion in the near future.
For more info on a particular bill (full text, Sponsors, previous voting history, etc...), go to
http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/bills/BillsBySubject.asp and select "Public Safety - Weapons" from the dropdown. There will be links to the individual bills. Bills that have not been sent to committee are not included below.
Senate Committee members can be found here:
http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/committees/senate.asp
Assembly Committee members can be found here:
http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/committees/assembly.asp
Assembly Law & Public Safety Committee / Group (B) Committees to meet on Thu, March 3rd
* A128 Establishes the "Firearm Automated Licensing System"; provides for an additional assessment fee for retail dealer licenses, handgun purchaser permits and firearm purchaser identification cards.
* A330 Reduces years of law enforcement experience required for certain law enforcement officers to establish right to carry a firearm.
* A335 Makes unlawful possession of assault firearm a second degree crime.
* A336 Upgrades penalty for unlawfully transferring a firearm to an underage person.
* A339 Prohibits individuals from purchasing more than one handgun in a calendar month.
* A497 Clarifies criteria for determining an assault firearm.
* A632 Increases firearm permit and license fees.
* A667 Clarifies that BB guns are not firearms under New Jersey law.
* A681 Prohibits the sale, importation, possession and carrying of handguns except by certain authorized persons.
* A693 Prohibits possession of ammunition capable of penetrating body armor.
* A813 Directs Attorney General to establish a criminal firearms recovery clearing house.
* A886 Permits qualified retired law enforcement officers who were employed by law enforcement agencies outside the State to carry firearms.
* A909 Grants right to carry handgun to certain retired campus police officers.
* A1249 Establishes confidential data base to assist State Police in issuance of firearms purchaser identification cards and handgun purchase permits.
* A1282 Revises procedures for securing a permit to carry a handgun.
* A1375 Supplemental appropriation of $4,000,000 to fund CeaseFire pilot program in Camden, Jersey City, Newark, and Trenton.
* A1834 Establishes the reckless discharge of a firearm as a crime of the fourth degree.
* A1843 Criminalizes purchase or possession of firearms ammunition by persons convicted of certain crimes.
* A2022 Requires radio frequency identifying devices in handguns sold by licensed retail dealers.
* A2041 Clarifies possession of machine guns and assault firearms by certain law enforcement officers.
Senate Law & Public Safety Committee / Group (2) Committees to meet on Thu, March 6th
* S59 Permits certain special law enforcement officers to carry firearms at all times when in State.
* S138 Prohibits sale of imitation firearms to persons under age of 18.
* S151 Revises qualifications to carry firearms for certain retired police officers.
* S192 Extends application period for retired police officers to carry firearms.
* S193 Revises procedures for securing a permit to carry a handgun.
* S194 Authorizes certain out-of-state police officers to carry handguns in this State.
* S195 Establishes statutory standards to guide authorities in evaluating applications for permits to carry handguns.
* S242 Revises definition of destructive device to include weapons of 50 caliber or greater.
* S482 Makes unlawful possession of assault firearm a second degree crime.
* S483 Upgrades penalty for unlawfully transferring a firearm to an underage person.
* S489 Supplemental appropriation of $4,000,000 to fund CeaseFire pilot program in Newark, Trenton and Camden.
* S490 Requires presumption that any bail paid by defendant charged with certain weapons offenses will be in the form of full cash.
* S494 Establishes "gun-free" and "weapon free" zones around certain school and public properties.
* S498 Requires newly manufactured handguns be micro-stamped.
* S537 Establishes a Gun Court Pilot Program in Passaic County.
* S543 Provides for forfeiture of vehicle where weapon was unlawfully possessed.
* S664 Prohibits possession of ammunition capable of penetrating body armor.
* S715 Clarifies that "airsoft" guns are firearms.
* S716 Establishes crime of removing federally required orange tip from toy gun; establishes crime of disguising a firearm by adding an orange muzzle tip.
* S739 Clarifies possession of machine guns and assault firearms by certain law enforcement officers.
* S776 Prohibits sale and possession of disguised knives.
* S809 Clarifies that licensed dealers may provide firearms for display at fund raising events sponsored by certain tax exempt organizations.
* S1005 Increases penalty for illegal firearms' sale within 1,000 feet of school.
Senate Education Committee / Group (1) Committes to meet on Thu, March 6th
* S1007 Requires school districts to report to DOE certain information on students removed from school pursuant to "Zero Tolerance for Guns Act."
Senate Judiciary Committee / Group (1) Committees to meet on Thu, March 6th
* S53 Prohibits plea bargaining and eliminates sentence reduction in weapons cases involving minors.
A couple of personal notes / thoughts:
1) The legislators are spending alot of time discussing allowing various small groups (corrections officers, out of state LEO, retired LEO, etc...) firearm carry, when a general shall-issue for all law-abiding citizens will cover these groups.
2) With the current state of NJ's finances, why are we considering giving $4M to Ceasefire NJ?
3) If some of these laws pass in the right combination, I can basically lose my new truck and be sentenced to 10+ yrs for stopping to get a cup of coffee on my way to the range with a handgun locked in the back of the truck. Nice... :/
4) A497, meant to clarify what an 'assualt weapon' is, does nothing of the sort. The definition is still up to the NJ AG.
5) S1302, if passed, requires that each municipality maintain it's own map, which means, if you're to legally travel with a firearm, you must obtain the maps for any municipality you will travel through and plot your route accordingly.
And please, can we save the NJ-bashing for somewhere else? "Move" is not constructive to trying to change things here in NJ.
