Bill Text: NJ AJR29 | 2010-2011 | Regular Session | Amended
Bill Title: Creates Firearms Advisory Task Force.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 4)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2010-03-15 - Received in the Senate, Referred to Senate Law and Public Safety Committee [AJR29 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2010-AJR29-Amended.html
ASSEMBLY JOINT RESOLUTION
No. 29
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
214th LEGISLATURE
INTRODUCED FEBRUARY 8, 2010
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman JOHN J. BURZICHELLI
District 3 (Salem, Cumberland and Gloucester)
Assemblyman GORDON M. JOHNSON
District 37 (Bergen)
Assemblyman RUBEN J. RAMOS, JR.
District 33 (Hudson)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblyman Moriarty
SYNOPSIS
Creates Firearms Advisory Task Force.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As amended by the General Assembly on February 25, 2010.
A Joint Resolution establishing the Firearms Advisory Task Force.
1[Whereas, Protecting the public safety and welfare is the most basic duty of government, and to this end, effective and reasonable measures must be implemented to keep citizens safe from violence; and
Whereas, New Jersey has taken a variety of steps to combat gun violence, including requiring prison terms for those who use firearms in crimes; regulating the sale and transfer of guns to ensure that firearms are being purchased only by law-abiding citizens; imposing restrictions on handgun purchases; and barring the sale of assault firearms; and
Whereas, Effective limitations regarding firearms, as well as other deterrent and enforcement measures, are essential to maintaining the public safety, but necessarily impact all residents of this State, including law-abiding collectors of firearms and competitive and recreational firearms users; and
Whereas, In 2007, New Jersey entered into a cooperative agreement, the first of its kind in the nation, forming a partnership with the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to allow New Jersey State Police direct access to "E-TRACE' data, to trace illegal firearms back to their source as yet another measure to uncover gun crimes and deter illegal gun trafficking; and
Whereas, It is fitting and proper, and in the public interest, to examine the effectiveness of our State's firearms laws in combating gun violence and the impact of these restrictions on law-abiding firearms owners, and to maintain a dialogue with interested parties and experts; now, therefore,]1
1Whereas, New Jersey's complex firearms permitting and regulatory laws, among the strictest and most restrictive in the nation, were enacted over a quarter century ago and have not since been comprehensively reviewed or meaningfully revised;
Whereas, Technological advancements made in the three decades following the enactment of these laws, such as the NICs check, could potentially offer opportunities to streamline these sometimes cumbersome laws, without in any sense weakening them, and therefore enhance the efficiency of their administration to benefit this State's firearms purchasers; and
Whereas, It is fitting and proper, and in the public interest, to establish a task force to review, evaluate, and make recommendations for improving this State's firearms permitting and regulatory laws; now, therefore,1
Be It Resolved by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. There is hereby established a Firearms Advisory Task Force. The purpose of the task force shall be to review, evaluate and make recommendations regarding New Jersey's statutory and regulatory schemes and programmatic initiatives, particularly in regard to modernizing the firearm permitting and regulatory processes.
2. a. The task force shall be composed of 13 members as follows:
(1) Four members of the Senate to be appointed by the President of the Senate, of whom not more than two shall be of the same political party;
(2) Four members of the General Assembly to be appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly, of whom not more than two shall be of the same political party;
(3) The Attorney General, ex-officio, or a designee;
(4) The Superintendent of State Police, ex-officio, or a designee;
(5) A county prosecutor to be appointed by the Governor; and
(6) Two members of the public, with one who represents an association of pistol and rifle clubs operating in New Jersey to be appointed by the President of the Senate, and one who represents an organization that promotes gun violence prevention to be appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly.
b. Vacancies on the task force shall be filled in the same manner as the original selections. The non-legislative members shall serve at the pleasure of the appointing authority and without compensation.
3. The task force recommendations shall include specific suggestions to improve the firearms permitting process and any appropriate legislative changes.
4. The members of the task force shall convene their organizational meeting within 30 days after their appointment. The President of the Senate shall appoint the chair of the task force. The members shall select a vice-chair through a majority vote. The task force shall issue a report, pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), containing its findings and recommendations, including any recommendations for legislation, no later than 18 months after its organizational meeting.
5. The task force shall be entitled to call to its assistance and avail itself of the services of the employees of any State department, board, bureau, commission, or agency, as it may require and as may be available for its purposes, and to employ secretarial and clerical assistance and incur traveling and other miscellaneous expenses as may be necessary in order to perform its duties within the limits of funds appropriated or otherwise made available to it for its purposes. The task force may consult with experts or other knowledgeable individuals in the public or private sector on any aspect of its mission.
6. This joint resolution shall take effect immediately and shall expire upon the submission by the task force of its report.
