2C:58-2.2 Findings, declarations relative to sale of handguns.

1. a. The Legislature finds:

New Jersey's commitment to firearms safety is unrivaled anywhere in the nation;

New Jersey was the first state to require retail dealers to include, as part of every handgun sale, either a State Police approved trigger lock or a locked case, gun box, container or other secure facility;

To encourage all firearms owners to practice safe storage, the State has waived all sales taxes on trigger locks, firearms lock-boxes and vaults and, under the "KeepSafe" program, offers an instant $5 rebate to all retail firearms purchasers who buy a compatible trigger locking device along with their firearm;

New Jersey was the first state to require all firearms dealers to prominently display State-provided firearms information and safety warnings;

New Jersey was one of the first states to make parents and guardians statutorily responsible for unwittingly or carelessly permitting minors under their control to gain access to loaded firearms;

New Jersey statutorily prohibits anyone under the age of 18 years from purchasing or otherwise acquiring a firearm and permits such minors to possess or carry a firearm only in a very limited number of strictly defined situations and under the direct supervision of a qualified parent, guardian or instructor;

To enforce this strict regulatory scheme, New Jersey imposes harsh penalties, including a mandatory minimum prison term of three years, on anyone who knowingly sells, transfers or gives a firearm to a person under the age of 18 years; and

New Jersey was the first state to allocate, as part of its annual Appropriations Act, moneys dedicated exclusively for the development of personal handgun technology, and the amount so allocated, $1,000,000, was one-fifth the total amount the federal government allocated toward the development of this important firearms safety technology in the same fiscal year.

b.The Legislature, therefore, declares:

It is within the public interest, and vital to the safety of our families and children, for New Jersey to take the bold and innovative step of fostering the development of personalized handguns by firearms manufacturers.  To accomplish this objective, the Legislature determines that it should enact legislation designed to further enhance firearms safety by requiring that, within a specified period of time after the date on which these new personalized handguns are deemed to be available for retail sales purposes, no other type of handgun shall be sold or offered for sale by any registered or licensed firearms dealer in this State.