ASSEMBLY, No. 3619

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

221st LEGISLATURE

 

INTRODUCED FEBRUARY 12, 2024

 

 

Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman  CAROL A. MURPHY

District 7 (Burlington)

 

 

 

 

SYNOPSIS

     Exempts certain veterans from field or live-fire range portion of hunter gun safety course.

 

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

     As introduced.

  

An Act concerning gun safety course for veterans and amending P.L.1954, c.57.

 

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

 

     1.    Section 1 of P.L.1954, c.57 (C.23:3-4.2) is amended to read as follows:

     1.    a.  Notwithstanding any provisions contained in sections 23:3-1 to 23:3-22 of the Revised Statutes, concerning the issuance of resident or nonresident firearm hunting licenses, at the time an application for a firearm hunting license that is not an apprentice license is made by an applicant above the age of 10, to whom a license other than an apprentice license has not previously been issued, such applicant shall present to the issuing agent a certificate stating that the applicant has satisfactorily completed a course in gun safety, which shall be signed by an agent of the Division of Fish and Wildlife designated for the purpose whose fitness to give instructions in safe gun handling has been determined by the Division of Fish and Wildlife of the Department of Environmental Protection.  A person above the age of 10 who previously has held a license to engage in hunting, other than an apprentice license, shall not be entitled to purchase another such license in a subsequent year unless at the time of making application he shall submit to the license issuing agent his license of a previous year, or a certification from the Division of Fish and Wildlife stating that he held such a license.

     b.    An applicant for an apprentice firearm hunting license shall be exempt from the requirement to show that the person has completed a course in gun safety as provided in subsection a. of this section.

     c.  A  veteran shall not be required to complete the field or live-fire range portion of the course in gun safety in order to receive the certificate required pursuant to subsection a. of this section.  The division may require the veteran to provide proof of service and honorable discharge prior to authorizing the exemption pursuant to this subsection.

     d.  As used in this section, "veteran" means any resident of the State who has been honorably discharged or released under honorable circumstances from active military service in any of the Armed Forces of the United States, or reserves component thereof, or any honorably discharged member of the American Merchant Marine who served during World War II and is declared by the United States Department of Defense to be eligible for federal veterans' benefits.

(cf:  P.L.2015, c.83, s.4)

 

     2.    This act shall take effect immediately.

 

 

STATEMENT

 

     The bill exempts a veteran from completing the field or live-fire range portion of the required course in gun safety.  The bill also allows the Division of Fish and Wildlife to require the veteran to provide proof of service and honorable discharge prior to the division's authorization of the exemption.  The bill defines "veteran" as any resident of the State who has been honorably discharged or released under honorable circumstances from active military service in any of the Armed Forces of the United States, or reserves component thereof, or any honorably discharged member of the American Merchant Marine who served during World War II and is declared by the United States Department of Defense to be eligible for federal veterans' benefits.