SENATE LAW AND PUBLIC SAFETY AND VETERANS' AFFAIRS COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

SENATE, No. 2934

with committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED: DECEMBER 17, 2007

      The Senate Law and Public Safety and Veterans' Affairs Committee reports favorably and with committee amendments Senate Bill No. 2934.

      As amended and reported by committee, this bill requires the legal owner of a firearm, upon discovering that the firearm is lost or stolen,  to report the loss or theft of that firearm within 36 hours to the chief law enforcement officer of the municipality in which the theft occurred or, if the municipality does not have a local police force, the Superintendent of State Police.  Under the amended bill, a legal owner of a firearm who fails to report the loss or theft of the firearm within the 36-hour period is subject to a civil penalty of not less than $500 for a first offense, and not less than $1,000 for any second or subsequent offense.

      The committee amended the bill to require the legal owner of a firearm to report the loss or theft of that firearm with 36 hours after discovery of the loss or theft rather than immediately upon discovery.  The committee also added a provision that an owner who fails to report the loss or theft is subject to a civil penalty of not less than $500 for a first offense, and not less than $1000 for any second or subsequent offense.  The amendments also remove language specifying that the legal owner of a lost or stolen firearm who complied with the reporting requirements would not be civilly liable for any damages resulting from a crime.