New Jersey Assembly Approves 22 Gun Violence Prevention Bills

Common Sense Bill Package Focuses on Gun & Ammunition Sales Reform, Improving Mental Health Services, Enhancing Gun Safety, Combating Illegal Gun Trafficking, Boosting School Security & Preventing Gang Violence

(TRENTON) – The New Jersey General Assembly on Thursday approved 22 gun violence prevention bills focusing on reforming gun and ammunition sales, improving mental health services, enhancing gun safety, combating illegal gun trafficking, boosting school security and preventing gang violence.

“These measures are a blend of temperance and temerity - the temperance necessary to address this issue pragmatically without trampling on Second Amendment rights, and the temerity to tackle this issue once and for all,” said Assembly Speaker Sheila Y. Oliver (D-Essex/Passaic). “For those who argue that our efforts are an emotional response to the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School, I don't entirely disagree. To not be driven by emotion to address the incomprehensible slaying of 20 innocent children would be baffling. This is not, however, a knee-jerk response. The time to get serious about protecting our communities from gun violence is long overdue. The proposals we have approved are common sense.”

“We know of the mass tragedies in Newtown and Aurora, in Tucson and in Blacksburg, but we recognize that gun violence takes the life of a New Jerseyan almost every day, as in 2011, 269 New Jerseyans were killed by guns -- a 9 percent increase from the previous year,” said Assembly Majority Leader Lou Greenwald (D-Camden/Burlington). “We must take notice when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention project that gun deaths are expected to exceed motor vehicle fatalities for the first time by 2015. Whether it is a movie theater in Colorado, a college campus in Virginia or a street corner in New Jersey, enough is enough. That is why the New Jersey General Assembly has approved a comprehensive package of common-sense bills to prevent gun violence.”

The following bills were approved Thursday by the Assembly, with details on each bill available at http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/bills/BillsByNumber.asp.

Bill No.		Sponsor		Description
A-588 Aca		Spencer, L. Grace /Coutinho, Albert /Diegnan, Patrick J. /Quijano, Annette		Prohibits possession of ammunition capable of penetrating body armor.
A-1116		Fuentes, Angel /Spencer, L. Grace		Establishes 180 day prohibition on purchase of handgun for certain individuals who fail to report loss or theft of firearm.
A-1329 Aca		Greenwald, Louis D. /Quijano, Annette /Coutinho, Albert /Eustace, Timothy J. /Johnson, Gordon M. /Jasey, Mila M.		Reduces maximum capacity of ammunition magazines to 10 rounds.
A-1387 Aca		Wilson, Gilbert L. /Johnson, Gordon M.		Permits municipalities to establish weapons free zones around schools and public facilities.
A-1683 Aca		Johnson, Gordon M. /Eustace, Timothy J.		Criminalizes purchase or possession of firearms ammunition by persons convicted of certain crimes.
A-2692 Aa		Cryan, Joseph		"Christopher's Law;" provides court with option of ordering juveniles adjudicated delinquent to receive interactive instruction in preventing gang involvement and gang and youth violence.
A-3510		Johnson, Gordon M. /Vainieri Huttle, Valerie		Requires proof of firearms safety training as a condition for issuance of firearms purchaser ID cards and permits to purchase handguns.
A-3583/ 1613 AcsAa		Wilson, Gilbert L.		Creates task force to explore areas to improve school safety.
A-3645/ 3646/3666 /3750 Acs		Greenwald, Louis D. /Eustace, Timothy J. /Mosquera, Gabriela M.		Requires ammunition sales and transfers be conducted as face-to-face transactions.
A-3659 Aa		Barnes, Peter J. /Johnson, Gordon M. /Gusciora, Reed		Revises definition of destructive device to include certain weapons of 50 caliber or greater.
A-3668		Jasey, Mila M. /McKeon, John F. /Cryan, Joseph /Johnson, Gordon M. /Quijano, Annette		Prohibits investment by State of pension and annuity funds in companies manufacturing, importing, and selling assault firearms for civilian use.
A-3687		Stender, Linda /Fuentes, Angel		Disqualifies person named on federal Terrorist Watchlist from obtaining firearms identification card or permit to purchase handgun.
A-3717		Lampitt, Pamela R. /Singleton, Troy /Eustace, Timothy J.		Requires submission of certain mental health records to National Instant Criminal Background Check System.
A-3748 Aa		O'Donnell, Jason /Mainor, Charles /McKeon, John F.		Requires background check for private gun sales.
A-3754 Aca		Cryan, Joseph /O'Donnell, Jason /Quijano, Annette /Mainor, Charles /McKeon, John F.		Requires firearms seizure when mental health professional determines patient poses threat of harm to self or others.
A-3772		Eustace, Timothy J. /Wagner, Connie /Vainieri Huttle, Valerie		Requires that firearms purchaser identification cards display picture; mandates that firearms purchaser identification cards be renewed every five years.
A-3788		Rible, David P. /Dancer, Ronald S.		Codifies regulation exempting firearms records from State's open public records law; abolishes common law right of access to these records.
A-3796 Aa		Mainor, Charles		Provides 90-day window for persons to dispose of certain unlawfully possessed firearms.
A-3797 Aca		Mainor, Charles		Requires law enforcement to report certain firearms information to interjurisdictional electronic databases including the National Integrated Ballistics Identification Network.
ACR-180 Acs		Greenwald, Louis D. /Oliver, Sheila Y. /Gusciora, Reed /Fuentes, Angel /Stender, Linda		Urges President and Congress of United States to enact legislation enforcing stricter firearms control measures.
AR-143 AcaAa		Quijano, Annette /Cryan, Joseph /O'Donnell, Jason /Mainor, Charles /McKeon, John F. /Bramnick, Jon M.		Expresses support for Attorney General's gun buyback program.
AR-144		Oliver, Sheila Y. /Wagner, Connie		Urges Governor Christie's Administration not to apply for annual exemption from requirements of federal Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008.