Bill > A4918

Introduced Session

This bill establishes the crime of reckless discharge of a firearm. Under the bill, a person who recklessly discharges a firearm unlawfully or without a lawful purpose within 100 yards of an occupied structure or a school, college, university or other educational institution, school bus, or child care facility, whether or not occupied, commits a crime of the third degree. Any other reckless discharge of a firearm is a crime of the fourth degree pursuant to the provisions of the bill. Third degree crimes are punishable by imprisonment for a term of three to five years, a fine of up to $15,000, or both. Fourth degree crimes are punishable by imprisonment for a term of up to 18 months, a fine of up to $10,000, or both. The bill provides that a conviction for recklessly discharging a firearm does not preclude an indictment and conviction for an offense under a different provision of law and a subsequent conviction is not to merge with the original conviction. The bill also provides that in instances in which the court imposes multiple sentences of imprisonment for more than one offense, those sentences are to run consecutively. This bill implements recommendation # 3 made in the report "Illegal Firearms Use and Trends in New Jersey," issued in September 2024 by the New Jersey State Commission of Investigation (SCI).

AI Summary

Committee Categories

Michele Matsikoudis (R)*,  Nancy Muñoz (R)*, 

Introduced, Referred to Assembly Budget Committee (on 10/21/2024)

Official Document