Bill > ACR16

This concurrent resolution proposes to amend the New Jersey State Constitution by explicitly adding language that protects citizens' right to keep and bear arms. The amendment would modify Article I, paragraph 1 by inserting the phrase "The right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed" alongside existing language about natural rights. If approved, the proposed constitutional amendment would require submission to voters at the next general election, occurring more than three months after final legislative agreement. Voters would be presented with a ballot question asking whether they approve amending the State Constitution to provide a state-level right to keep and bear arms. The resolution notes that while the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution already provides a federal right to firearm ownership (as interpreted by the Supreme Court), the current New Jersey State Constitution does not explicitly protect this right. By adding this language, the amendment aims to constitutionally guarantee individual firearm ownership rights at the state level, ensuring that such rights cannot be easily restricted by future state legislation.

Justice

https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/bill-search/2024/ACR16