The bill, S-3893, cleared the Senate Law and Public Safety Committee on Thursday and would establish criminal penalties for the sale and possession of any device capable of converting a firearm into a machine gun. It is sponsored by Senator Troy Singleton, who represents Bordentown and Fieldsboro in the Legislature, and Committee Chair Senator Linda Greenstein.

“With the U.S. Supreme Court striking down the federal bump stock ban, it is critical for New Jersey to restrict devices that can turn regular firearms into weapons of war,” said Senator Singleton (D-Burlington). “This legislation is not about limiting legal gun ownership, but rather keeping our communities safe by preventing a mass casualty event.”

Under the legislation, possession of a machine gun conversion device would be a third-degree crime, regardless if the person has a firearm. The penalty for possessing the device would run consecutively with the penalty for possessing an assault firearm or machine gun. 

The legislation would make the manufacturing, transporting, shipping, selling, or disposing of a machine gun conversion devic a third-degree crime punishable by three to five years imprisonment, a fine of up to $15,000, or both. 

“Gun violence remains a big concern in communities across the state, so we must take every step we can to ensure the safety of our residents,” said Senator Greenstein (D-Mercer/Middlesex). “Banning machine gun conversion devices, which increase a weapon's rate of fire, is a common-sense way to do that. These devices are easy to produce and can be obtained online, so it is imperative that we act now to outlaw their sale and possession.”

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