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A1376
ASSEMBLY, No. 1376
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
222nd LEGISLATURE
�
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman ELLEN J. PARK
District 37 (Bergen)
SYNOPSIS
���� Clarifies that law enforcement agencies may hold gun
buyback programs and permits voluntary surrender of ammunition.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
���� Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative
Counsel.
��
An Act
concerning voluntary surrender of firearms and
ammunition and amending
N.J.S.2C:39-12.�
����
Be It
Enacted
by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:
���� 1.� N.J.S.2C:39-12 is amended
to read as follows:�
���� 2C:39-12.��
[
No
]
a.� A
person shall
not
be convicted of an offense under this chapter for
possessing any firearms, weapons, destructive devices,
ammunition,
large
capacity ammunition magazines, silencers
,
or explosives, if after giving
written notice of his intention to do so, including the proposed date and time
of surrender,
[
he
]
the person
voluntarily surrendered the weapon, device, instrument
,
or substance in
question to the superintendent or to the chief of police in the municipality in
which
[
he
]
the person
resides, provided that the required notice is received by the superintendent or
chief of police before any charges have been made or complaints filed against
[
such
]
the
person for the unlawful possession of the weapon, device, instrument
,
or
substance in question and before any investigation has been commenced by any
law enforcement agency concerning the unlawful possession.� ����������
���� Nothing in this section shall
be construed as granting immunity from prosecution for any crime or offense
except that of the unlawful possession of such weapons, devices, instruments
,
or substances surrendered as herein provided.
����
b.��� The Office of
Attorney General or a county prosecutor�s office may authorize a gun buyback
program to allow individuals to anonymously and voluntarily surrender any
firearm, ammunition, or weapon in their possession.� A gun buyback program that
accepts surrendered firearms also shall accept surrendered ammunition.� Gun
buyback programs authorized pursuant to this subsection may grant an award in
exchange for any surrendered firearm or weapon.���
(cf:� P.L.2018, c.39, s.6)�
���� 2.��� This act shall take
effect immediately.�
STATEMENT
���� This bill clarifies that a
person may voluntarily surrender ammunition to a law enforcement agency.� Under
current law, a person may voluntarily surrender a firearm after giving written
notice to the chief law enforcement officer of the municipality in which the
person resides or the Superintendent of State Police.� This bill authorizes a
person to surrender ammunition in the same manner as a firearm.�
���� The bill also clarifies that
the Office of the Attorney General or a county prosecutor�s office may
authorize gun buyback programs to allow people to anonymously and voluntarily
surrender any firearm, ammunition, or weapon in their possession.� Under the
bill, gun buyback programs that accept surrendered firearms also are required
to accept surrendered ammunition.� Gun buyback programs would be permitted to grant
an award in exchange for any surrendered firearm or weapon.���
���� Law enforcement agencies in
this State routinely host gun buyback programs.� This bill clarifies that this
is a permissible practice under current law.�