10 new NJ gun restriction bills could become law

🚫 Gun bills get greenlight from the judiciary committee

🚫 Crackdown on 3D printing guns, conversion kits

🚫 Opponents say some bills are over the top

TRENTON — Nearly a dozen bills to impose new firearm restrictions in New Jersey are moving through the state legislature.

At Thursday's judiciary committee meeting, Assemblywoman Ellen Park, D-Bergen, said the bills were focused on firearm safety and accountability.

Park, who chairs the committee, said none of the bills would infringe on the right to bear arms.

"However, with every right comes responsibility. The Second Amendment does not give anyone the right to evade law enforcement or to manufacture untraceable firearms through 3D printing or other means," Park said.

Bill would seize ammo, gun parts

🔴 A1389 — Requires seizure of ammunition and certain firearm components in response to domestic violence restraining order or conviction.

Rob Nixon, a lobbyist for the Association of New Jersey Rifle and Pistol Clubs, testified at the committee meeting.

Nixon said the bill was "over the top" because firearms were already seized in those situations; the ammo and firearm components are useless without the guns.

He also said there was no due process for people who had been falsely accused of domestic violence and it was challenging for those people to get their firearms returned.

Ban on plans for 3D-printed guns

🔴 A4975 Establishes a fourth-degree crime of possessing digital instructions to illegally manufacture firearms and firearm components.

Nixon said this bill would also be redundant; it's already a crime in New Jersey to make or have a 3D-printed firearm, also known as a ghost gun.

Anyone in New Jersey who has these kinds of files on a flash drive and forgets to delete them would be a criminal under this bill, Nixon said.

Lawmakers look to ban Machinegun conversion kits

🔴 A4974 Establishes criminal penalties for sale and possession of machine gun conversion devices.

These parts are also known as switches, chips, or auto sears. They are already illegal under federal law.

"Anything you do to make something into a machine gun is already illegal because it turns that device into something fully automatic," Nixon said.

Reckless discharge

A4976 — Establishes the crime of reckless discharge of a firearm. It would be a fourth-degree offense with no presumption of jail time, according to Park.

Darin Goens, a state director for the National Rifle Association, also testified. He said the bill was "overly broad" and would make people second-guess firing a weapon whether it was lawful or not.

Goens was also concerned someone could be charged almost any time they fire a gun and that the bill would treat an accidental discharge similarly to an intentional one.

Other bills that passed the Assembly Judiciary Committee on Thursday included:

🔴 A4978 Requires AG to report data regarding shootings that did not result in bodily injury.

🔴 A4979 Requires law enforcement officers to complete training regarding identification of machine gun conversion devices.

🔴 A4981 Permits court to take additional time to consider pretrial release or pretrial detention when firearm offense is involved.

🔴 A5323 Requires State Police to inform local law enforcement if certain prohibited persons attempt to purchase firearm or ammunition.

🔴 A5345 Requires use of merchant category codes for purchases of firearms and ammunition.

🔴 A5346 "Firearm and Ammunition Procurement Act"; establishes State procurement practices for firearms, ammunition, and firearm accessories.

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