ARS Statement on NJ Assembly Committee Hearing on Bill That Address Gaps in Current Law to Limit Domestic Abusers’ Access to Guns

June 1, 2015 – Hayley Zachary, the Executive Director of Americans for Responsible Solutions (ARS), the gun violence prevention organization founded by former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and Capt. Mark Kelly, issued the below statement today on the Law and Public Safety Committee hearing on Assembly Bill 4218, which addresses potential gaps in New Jersey law and would help protect domestic violence victims from abusers with access to firearms. Hayley’s statement:

A4218 will help strengthen New Jersey’s laws by:

Requiring domestic abusers to surrender all of their guns if a domestic violence restraining order is in effect, or if they’re convicted of a domestic violence crime.

• Requiring domestic abusers to surrender all of their guns if a domestic violence restraining order is in effect, or if they’re convicted of a domestic violence crime.

• Suspending the gun purchaser ID cards and permits of abusers;
• Revoking such cards if an abuser is convicted of a domestic violence crime;
• Requiring the cross-checking of records to determine if an abuser owns a firearm.

Nationally, women in the U.S. are 11 times likely to be murdered with a gun than women in other developed countries, and more than half of all murders of America’s women are committed with a gun. Abused women are also five times more likely to be killed by their abuser if that individual has access to a firearm.