Bill > AR147

This resolution condemns the United States Supreme Court's decision in Garland v. Cargill, which ruled that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) exceeded its authority in banning bump stocks, devices that can significantly increase a firearm's rate of fire. The resolution references the 2017 Las Vegas mass shooting, where a gunman killed 60 people and injured 530 in ten minutes using rifles modified with bump stocks, which can potentially fire up to 800 rounds per minute. It criticizes the Supreme Court's 6-3 ruling, written by Justice Clarence Thomas, which determined that bump stocks do not meet the legal definition of a machine gun under the National Firearms Act of 1934 and the Gun Control Act of 1968. The resolution reaffirms New Jersey's commitment to public safety by highlighting the state's own 2017 law (P.L.2017, c.323) that prohibits bump stocks and establishes possession as a third-degree crime. Additionally, the resolution argues that the Supreme Court's decision recklessly puts dangerous firearms in public hands and undermines the ATF's expertise in interpreting and administering federal gun-control laws. The document also instructs that copies of the resolution be sent to New Jersey's congressional representatives.

https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/bill-search/2024/AR147