Bill > A4053

Introduced Session

This bill provides that a New Jersey resident holding a valid permit to carry a handgun issued by another state will be authorized to carry a handgun in this State provided certain criteria are met. Under current law, New Jersey does not have reciprocity with any other state concerning permits to carry handguns. The only lawful way a private citizen may carry a handgun in this State is if he has been be issued a permit by the New Jersey Superior Court, following approval by his local chief of police, or the Superintendent of State Police. Issuance requires an applicant to demonstrate "justifiable need," which has been construed very narrowly by both regulation and case law. In practice, this standard has made it virtually impossible for the vast majority of New Jersey residents to obtain permits to carry handguns. In order to provide firearms owners the ability the carry handguns for purposes of self defense and defense of others, the bill provides that a New Jersey resident who has obtained a valid permit to carry from another state, may apply to have that permit recognized by this State. Under the provisions of the bill, recognition of the permit authorizes a person to carry a handgun in this State, in the same manner as a person who has been issued a permit by the New Jersey Superior Court. The bill provides that in order for another state's permit to be eligible for recognition, the application process of the issuing state had to require that an applicant: (1) be at least 21 years of age; (2) submit to fingerprinting and a criminal history records check; and (3) demonstrate thorough familiarity with the safe handling and use of handguns as evidenced by certain training, participation in shooting competitions, law enforcement employment or military service. In accordance with the provisions of the bill, an applicant whose permit was issued by an eligible state will be granted written recognition of that permit, provided that he is not subject to any of the statutory disabilities set forth in current law prohibiting an individual from obtaining a permit to purchase a handgun or a firearms purchaser identification card. Statistics reveal a connection between robust right-to-carry laws and a decrease in violent crime rates. Based on data from the FBI's Annual Uniform Crime Report, it has been estimated that so-called "right-to-carry" states have 22 percent lower total violent crime rates, 30 percent lower murder rates, 46 percent lower robbery rates, and 12 percent lower aggravated assault rates, as compared to the rest of the country. In an ever-changing world, where violent attacks by armed individuals appear time and again in the national news media, the citizens of New Jersey are left vulnerable by the State's overly restrictive and burdensome handgun carry permit scheme. Accordingly, it is the sponsor's intent to allow law abiding, competent firearms owners, who have been granted the authority by another state to carry a handgun within its borders, to carry handguns in this State for the purposes of self defense and defense of others, provided certain criteria are met, as set forth in this bill.

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Ronald Dancer (R)*,  Parker Space (R)*,  Harold Wirths (R)*,  Gerry Scharfenberger (R), 

Introduced, Referred to Assembly Judiciary Committee (on 05/07/2020)