New Jersey Lawyer Blog
10 Gun Control Bills Passed by New Jersey Senate
Several noteworthy gun control bills awaiting a decision by New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie would change the way gun permits are administered.
Among other things, the gun permit would be embedded on driver’s licenses or other state-issue ID card, and require an immediate background check.
Those were among 10 gun control bills recently passed by the Senate. There is no word yet on how the governor might proceed.
Bills Passed By Senate
Other bills passed by the Senate would:
- Increase penalties for convicts who have guns illegally to a first-degree crime
- Require criminals caught with a firearm to post full cash bail
- Require the state to send some mental health records to FBI’s national criminal background database.
- Expand current New Jersey law, which bans people who are considered a threat to “public health, safety or welfare,” to also include anyone who is on FBI’s terrorist watch list.
- Increase the statute of limitations for gun thefts from five years to 10 years
- Ban .50-caliber weapons or any larger weapon and redefine the term destructive device
- Give people up to four years to buy a gun after obtaining a permit, instead of the current 90 days
- Ban state pensions from investing in companies that make or sell assault rifles for civilian use. Those state pensions will still be allowed to invest in companies that make or sell assault rifles only for military groups or law enforcement.
All bills are part of a gun control package aimed at responding to the Dec. 2012 school shooting in Newtown, Ct., where 20 children were killed.
If you have any questions, regarding current weapons laws in New Jersey, you may call Aretsky & Aretsky attorneys at law.
Photo credit: Michael Saechang