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Assembly Democrats John F. McKeon, Speaker Vincent Prieto, Majority Leader Louis D. Greenwald, Charles Mainor, Mila M. Jasey and Gary S. Schaer are sponsoring the legislation.
“Gun violence claims lives every day. In some communities, it is an-all too common reality,” said McKeon. “We realize a gun buyback program alone will not eliminate gun violence, but it can help enhance public safety by reducing the number of firearms in circulation.”
The bill (A-2895) would require the New Jersey attorney general to establish a statewide gun buyback program, which would allow New Jersey citizens to voluntarily and anonymously surrender firearms and weapons in their possession in exchange for a monetary reward.
Under the bill, state Office of the Attorney General would be required to hold at least nine gun buyback programs a year throughout the state; three each in the northern, central and southern regions. At least one program in each region would be required to be held in an urban area with a high crime rate, as determined by the uniform crime report.
“A gun buyback program is not the be-all and end-all solution to gun violence, but it can help make a dent by giving people the option to safely discard their weapons,” said Greenwald. “Anything we can do to reduce the number of guns in our communities is a worthwhile pursuit.”
Funding for the program would primarily be generated by captured proceeds from criminal activities in the state and private donations from corporations, small businesses, and individuals. The Office of the Attorney General held a similar gun buyback initiative in 2012. Through 10 buybacks across the state a total of 15,958 firearms were collected, including more than 7,300 handguns and nearly 1,900 illegal guns. The bill has been referred to the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee.
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