An Act concerning firearms education and supplementing Title 2C of the New Jersey Statutes.

Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

1. a. An applicant for a firearms purchaser identification card or permit to purchase a handgun shall not be issued the card or permit unless the applicant presents evidence of successfully completing a firearms education program of a type approved by the Superintendent of State Police or has received substantially equivalent training through law enforcement or military service. Acceptable evidence of successfully completing a firearms education program shall include, but not be limited to, a certificate indicating satisfactory completion of a National Rifle Association firearms course, a certificate that the applicant is a certified National Rifle Association Firearms Instructor, a copy of a firearms or hunting license or permit from any other jurisdiction that requires the holder to successfully complete a substantially equivalent firearms education program, or any other such documentation, certificate, or certification that the superintendent deems substantially equivalent.

The firearms education program, which shall not exceed four hours, may be offered by the National Rifle Association, a State or local law enforcement agency, junior college, college, university, firearms training school, or any other entity approved by the superintendent.

The superintendent shall prescribe the basic curriculum for the firearms education program required under this section.

In developing that curriculum, the superintendent shall consult with a firearms safety panel which shall consist of four members in addition to the superintendant. Two members shall be appointed by the Senate President; one shall represent organizations, associations, or clubs promoting hunting, shooting sports or competitions and one shall represent organizations, associations, or other entities advocating gun violence prevention. Two members shall be appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly; one shall represent organizations, associations, or clubs promoting hunting, shooting sports or competitions and one shall represent organizations, associations, or other entities advocating gun violence prevention. The superintendent shall serve as chair of the panel. The panel shall meet at those times and in those places as determined by the chair.

The basic curriculum shall include, but not be limited to, classes relating to responsible firearms ownership, safe storage, restricting access to firearms by unsupervised minors, and any other matters relating to protecting the safety and well being of New Jersey's families and children.

The basic curriculum shall be adopted within 60 days of the appointment of the members of the panel. If the panel is not appointed or does not adopt the basic curriculum within the required 60 days, the superintendent shall act independently in prescribing the provisions of the curriculum.

b. The superintendent shall prescribe the form or certificate an applicant receives evidencing the successful completion of the firearms education program required under this section and the manner in which that form or certificate shall be presented in order to qualify for a firearms purchaser identification card or permit to purchase a handgun.

c. The form or certificate issued pursuant to this section shall be valid, and shall be used, for an application for an initial firearms purchaser identification card or initial permit to purchase a handgun. An applicant who has successfully completed a firearms education program pursuant to this section shall not be required to repeat that program as part of any application for any renewal of a firearms purchaser identification card or permit to purchase a handgun.

2. This act shall take effect on the first day of the seventh month next following enactment except the Superintendent of State Police may take any anticipatory administrative action in advance thereof as shall be necessary for the implementation of this act.

STATEMENT

This bill requires an applicant for an initial firearms purchaser identification card or permit to purchase a handgun to successfully complete a firearms education program approved by the Superintendant of State Police.

Under the bill, acceptable evidence of successfully completing a firearms education program includes: a certificate indicating satisfactory completion of a National Rifle Association firearms course; a certificate that the applicant is a certified National Rifle Association Firearms Instructor; a copy of a firearms or hunting license or permit from any other jurisdiction that requires the holder to successfully complete a substantially equivalent firearms education program; or any other documentation, certificate, or certification deemed substantially equivalent by the superintendant.

The bill authorizes substantially equivalent training through law enforcement or military service to be substituted for the education program.

The bill limits the firearms education program to no more than four hours. It may be offered by the National Rifle Association, a State or local law enforcement agency, junior college, college, university, firearms training school, or any other entity approved by the superintendent.

The bill requires the superintendent to prescribe the basic curriculum for the firearms education program, in consultation with a firearms safety panel. The panel is to consist of four members. Two members are to represent organizations, associations, or clubs promoting hunting, shooting sports or competitions, one each to be appointed by the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the General Assembly. The two other members are to represent organizations, associations, or other entities advocating gun violence prevention, one each to be appointed by the President and the Speaker. The superintendent is designated as chair of the panel and is responsible for determining when and where the panel will meet.

The bill requires the basic curriculum of the firearms education program to include classes relating to responsible firearms ownership, safe storage, restricting access to firearms by unsupervised minors, and any other matters concerning the safety and well being of this State's families and children. The basic curriculum is to be adopted within 60 days of the appointment of the members of the panel. If the panel is not appointed or does not adopt the curriculum within the required 60 days, the bill directs the superintendent to independently prescribe the curriculum.

The superintendent is responsible for developing the form or certificate evidencing successful completion of the firearms education program. The form or certificate is required for an initial application for a firearms purchaser identification card or initial permit to purchase a handgun, but not for a renewal of a card or permit.