Gov. Phil Murphy added to New Jersey's already tough gun control laws by signing an executive order that requires gun manufacturers and retailers that do business with the state to demonstrate they are following and promoting gun safety principles.

Murphy is also instructing the New Jersey commissioner of Banking and Insurance to limit “the sale, procurement, marketing or distribution of insurance products that may serve to encourage the improper use of firearms.”

Last week, Lockton Affinity agreed to pay a $1 million fine as part of a consent order with the Department of Insurance and Banking for administering a National Rifle Association-sponsored insurance program in violation of state insurance laws.

"Offering an insurance product marketed by the NRA that encourages firearm use is a serious violation of public policy and today’s executive order takes steps to limit such policies’ availability in the State," Murphy's office said in a statement.

During a news conference in Morristown on Tuesday, Murphy said the state will review the practices of gun manufacturers and government-contracted gun retailers “and request disclosure of their standards for preventing guns from being purchased by straw purchasers, firearms traffickers or other prohibited individuals.”

Murphy also wants gun companies to disclose what steps they are taking to protect firearms and ammunition from being stolen “and for ensuring their employees both comply with New Jersey law and cooperate with law enforcement at all levels to promote public safety.”

Murphy said reviewing the gun safety principles of gun manufacturers and firearms retailers doing business with the Garden State makes sense on several levels.

“We cannot let taxpayers unwittingly pad the pockets of anyone whose business practices may make the jobs of law enforcement even more dangerous or put our residents in harms way," he said.

“If we find folks not living up to our standards, we reserve the right to stop doing business with them moving forward. And where we find a retailer who is doing the right things but doesn’t yet have the ability to compete for state contracts, we will gladly open the door to doing business with good actors."

In addition to asking gun companies and retailers to demonstrate they are following and promoting gun safety principles, the Treasury Department “will request information from financial institutions New Jersey works with about their own policies and practices related to gun safety or responsible sales of firearms.”

You can contact reporter David Matthau at David.Matthau@townsquaremedia.com

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