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S4144
SENATE, No. 4144
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
222nd LEGISLATURE
�
INTRODUCED MAY 11, 2026
Sponsored by:
Senator� TROY SINGLETON
District 7 (Burlington)
SYNOPSIS
���� Allows municipalities to adopt certain zoning
ordinances pertaining to outdoor firing ranges.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
���� As introduced.
��
An Act
concerning firearm safety, supplementing Title 2C of
the New Jersey Statutes, and amending
P.L.1975, c.291.�
����
Be It
Enacted
by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:
���� 1.��� (New section) a.� In
addition to guidelines promulgated by the Department of Law and Public Safety,
the governing body of the municipality in which an outdoor firing range is
located shall enact a zoning ordinance to establish safety guidelines for outdoor
firing ranges.� The safety guidelines shall include, but not be limited to:
���� (1)�� requirements pertaining
to posting signage that conspicuously displays the location and presence of an
outdoor fire range and the range�s hours of operation;
���� (2)�� limitations consistent
with current statutory law on the caliber and gauge of ammunition that may be
used on the grounds of the outdoor firing range;
���� (3)�� requirements for the
location of side and impact berms on the property of the outdoor firing range;
and
���� (4)�� any other safety
requirements deemed necessary by the governing body and consistent with current
law and guidelines promulgated by the Department of Law and Public Safety.
���� b.��� A governing body that
adopts a zoning ordinance pursuant to this section shall provide notice of the
public hearing pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1995, c.249 (C.40:55D-62.1) to the
residents of the municipality in which the firing range is located and
residents of municipalities located within one mile of the firing range.�
���� 2.��� Section 52 of P.L.1975,
c.291 (C.40:55D-65) is amended to read as follows:��
���� 52.� A zoning ordinance may:
���� a.���� Limit and restrict
buildings and structures to specified districts and regulate buildings and
structures according to their type and the nature and extent of their use, and
regulate the nature and extent of the use of land for trade, industry,
residence, open space or other purposes.
���� b.��� Regulate the bulk,
height, number of stories, orientation, and size of buildings and the other
structures; the percentage of lot or development area that may be occupied by
structures; minimum or maximum lot sizes, or a combination thereof, and
dimensions, including provisions concerning lot-size averaging; minimum
improvable lot areas and cluster development, and for these purposes may
specify minimum or maximum floor areas, or a combination thereof, floor area
ratios and other ratios and regulatory techniques governing the intensity of
land use and the provision of adequate light and air, including, but not
limited to the potential for utilization of renewable energy sources.� Such
regulations may provide for the clustering of development between noncontiguous
parcels and may, in order to provide equitable opportunities for the use of
development potential on off-tract locations in addition to authorized on-site
development, and, to encourage the flexibility of density, intensity of land
uses, design and type, authorize a deviation in various clusters from the
density, or intensity of use, established for the zoning district.� The
regulations by which the design, bulk and location of buildings are to be
evaluated shall be set forth in the zoning ordinance and all standards and
criteria for any feature of a cluster development shall be set forth in such
ordinance with sufficient certainty to provide reasonable criteria by which
specific proposals for clustered development can be evaluated.
���� c.���� Provide districts for
planned developments; provided that an ordinance providing for approval of
subdivisions and site plans by the planning board has been adopted and
incorporates therein the provisions for such planned developments in a manner
consistent with article 6 of P.L.1975, c.291 (C.40:55D-37 et seq.).� The zoning
ordinance shall establish standards governing the type and density, or
intensity of land use, in a planned development.� Said standards shall take
into account that the density, or intensity of land use, otherwise allowable
may not be appropriate for a planned development.� The standards may vary the
type and density, or intensity of land use, otherwise applicable to the land
within a planned development in consideration of the amount, location and
proposed use of open space; the location and physical characteristics of the
site of the proposed planned development considering the availability of
existing and proposed infrastructure and the environmental characteristics of
the parcel that will be developed and the open space, agricultural or
historical resources to be protected; and the location, design and type of
dwelling units and other uses.� Such standards may provide for the clustering
of development between noncontiguous parcels and may, in order to encourage the
flexibility of density, intensity of land uses, design and type, authorize a
deviation in various clusters from the density, or intensity of use,
established for an entire planned development.� The standards and criteria by which
the design, bulk and location of buildings are to be evaluated shall be set
forth in the zoning ordinance and all standards and criteria for any feature of
a planned development shall be set forth in such ordinance with sufficient
certainty to provide reasonable criteria by which specific proposals for
planned development can be evaluated.
���� d.��� Establish, for
particular uses or classes of uses, reasonable standards of performance and
standards for the provision of adequate physical improvements including, but
not limited to, off-street parking and loading areas, marginal access roads and
roadways, other circulation facilities and water, sewerage and drainage
facilities; provided that section 41 of P.L.1975, c.291 (C.40:55D-53) shall
apply to such improvements.
���� e.���� Designate and regulate
areas subject to flooding (1) pursuant to P.L.1972, c.185 (C.58:16A-55 et seq.)
or (2) as otherwise necessary in the absence of appropriate flood hazard area
designations pursuant to P.L.1962, c.19 (C.58:16A-50 et seq.) or floodway
regulations pursuant to P.L.1972, c.185 or minimum standards for local flood
fringe area regulation pursuant to P.L.1972, c.185.
���� f.���� Provide for conditional
uses pursuant to section 54 of P.L.1975, c.291 (C.40:55D-67).
���� g.��� Provide for senior
citizen community housing.
���� h.��� Require as a condition
for any approval which is required pursuant to such ordinance and the
provisions of this chapter, that no taxes or assessments for local improvements
are due or delinquent on the property for which any application is made.
���� i.���� Provide for historic
preservation pursuant to section 5 of P.L.1991, c.199 (C.40:55D-65.1).
���� j.���� Provide for sending and
receiving zones for a development transfer program established pursuant to
P.L.2004, c.2 (C.40:55D-137 et al.).
���� k.��� Provide for areas to be
developed and areas to be preserved through cluster development or establish
criteria for the establishment of such areas for cluster development.
���� l.���� Provide that parcels
that are developed and parcels that are preserved through contiguous cluster or
noncontiguous cluster may be consolidated for tax and stewardship purposes if
they are in common ownership.
����
m.�� Establish safety
guidelines for outdoor firing ranges pursuant to section 1 of P.L.���� , c.����
(C.������� ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).��
(cf: P.L.2013, c.106, s.14)�
���� 3.��� This act shall take
effect immediately.�
STATEMENT
���� This bill requires a
municipality in which an outdoor firing range is located to adopt a zoning
ordinance establishing safety guidelines for outdoor firing ranges.�
���� The safety guidelines are to
include requirements pertaining to the posting of signage that displays the
location and presence of an outdoor fire range and the range�s hours of
operation.� In addition, the municipality may establish requirements that are
consistent with current law regarding the caliber and gauge of ammunition that
may be used on the grounds of the outdoor firing range.� The requirements also
may include the location of side and impact berms on the outdoor firing range
property and any other safety requirements deemed necessary by the governing
body and consistent with current law and guidelines promulgated by the
Department of Law and Public Safety.
���� The bill requires the
municipality that enacts a firing range zoning ordinance to provide notice of
the public hearing required under current law to the residents of the
municipality in which the firing range is located and residents of
municipalities located within one mile of the firing range.�