California Bills Pass the Senate; New Jersey Legislators Continue to Push

The California Senate passed 8 new bills on May 29, 2013 including bans on all semi-automatic rifles that can accept a detachable magazine and all magazines over 10 rounds, including those that people already own.  Another bill requires ammunition buyers to pay a fee, obtain a permit and pass a background check.  Following the “microstamping” law which just became effective, the Senate also passed a “smart guns” bill that would require all newly made or imported handguns to be digitally secured so only their owners can fire them. 

Meanwhile, New Jersey’s Legislature continues to be extremely active with 32 bills already passed by at least one house, and 10 more bills up for vote in the Senate (including bills that would ban .50 caliber rifles, prevent the state pension fund from investing in companies that manufacture or sell assault rifles for civilian use and prohibit anyone on the federal terrorism watch list from purchasing a firearm).  Legislation regulating the sale of ammunition and requiring all purchases of ammunition to be made face to face, and a bill which would require reporting of mental health records to NICS may also be poised to head to the Governor’s desk.  At the same time, however, bills imposing magazine capacity limits and background checks for private firearms sales have been introduced in the New Jersey Legislature but thus far remain stagnant.