Giffords Applauds New Jersey Senate for Passing Package of Gun Safety Bills
June 7, 2018 — Giffords , the gun safety organization founded by former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and Captain Mark Kelly, applauded New Jersey lawmakers for their action on a comprehensive gun violence prevention package. The New Jersey Senate passed bills that would help keep New Jersey among the states with the strongest gun laws to better protect New Jersey families and communities.
“The New Jersey Senate knows what it takes to protect Garden State families, said Nico Bocour, State Legislative Director of Giffords. “We applaud the legislature for having the courage to address gun violence and crafting legislation that makes the state a leader for innovative gun safety laws. The package includes legislation that would keep guns out of the hands of dangerous people who pose extreme risks to the themselves and their families. It also includes initiatives New Jerseyans have long demanded like closing the long gun loophole and limiting magazine capacity. We hope more states emulate the hard work done by the elected officials of New Jersey.”
The full list of bills passed by the Senate today is:
- Establishing an Extreme Risk Protection Order (ERPO): A 1217 would establish a judicial process to acquire an order of protection so that an individual in crisis would be temporarily prohibited from firearm possession. New Jersey joins other states that have passed ERPO bills backed by Giffords, and becomes the seventh state to pass the legislation since the horrific shooting in Parkland, Florida.
- Closing Background Check Loopholes: A 2757 would require private sales of firearms to be processed through a dealer. There is no gap more glaring in our gun laws than the federal background checks law, which allows felons, domestic abusers, and the dangerously mentally ill to purchase firearms at gun shows and online without undergoing a background check. In states that require background checks for all handgun sales 47% fewer women are shot to death by their intimate partners, there are 47% fewer firearm suicides, and 53% fewer law enforcement officers are shot to death by handguns.
- A 2761: This bill would reduce magazine capacity to 10 rounds.
- A 2758: This bill would codify the requirements to meet the justifiable need standard for CCW applications.
- A 2759: This bill would prohibit possession of ammunition capable of penetrating body armor.
- A 1181: This bill would create a non-standard risk-based firearm removal law based on a risk a person poses due to mental illness.
- S 2465: This bill would establish the crime of purchasing components to unlawfully manufacture untraceable firearms.
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