The proposed bill amends New Jersey's criminal code to establish penalties for the sale and possession of binary firearm triggers, defining a "binary trigger" as a device that allows a semiautomatic firearm to fire one projectile upon pulling the trigger and another upon releasing it. This new definition is added to the existing definitions in N.J.S.2C:39-1, and the bill expands the definition of "machine gun" to include firearms equipped with binary triggers, thereby subjecting them to stricter regulations. Additionally, the bill amends N.J.S.2C:39-3 to include provisions related to the possession of binary triggers, categorizing their possession as a third-degree crime, which will run consecutively with penalties for possessing assault firearms or machine guns.

Moreover, the bill criminalizes the manufacturing, transporting, shipping, selling, or disposing of binary triggers, imposing penalties of three to five years of imprisonment and fines up to $15,000. It also allows individuals and licensed dealers to voluntarily surrender binary triggers to law enforcement without facing prosecution, with a 90-day period for individuals and a 30-day period for licensed dealers. The legislation aligns with existing laws prohibiting the sale and possession of similar devices, such as bump stocks and trigger cranks, and is set to take effect immediately upon enactment.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 2C:58-14.1