The New Jersey Home Safety Act is designed to improve firearm storage safety and mitigate the risks associated with unsecured firearms in homes. The bill mandates that firearms must be secured in a gun safe or locked container when not in use, with penalties for violations including community service for first offenses and disorderly persons offenses for subsequent violations. If an improperly stored firearm is accessed by another person resulting in serious injury or death, the firearm owner will face a fourth-degree crime charge. The legislation also tightens existing laws regarding minors' access to firearms by removing previous exceptions and imposing stricter liability on firearm owners.

To facilitate the bill's implementation, the Attorney General is required to create a public awareness campaign about the dangers of unsecured firearms, funded by a $500,000 appropriation from the General Fund. The bill also establishes a list of approved entities for community service related to gun violence prevention and includes new restrictions for individuals convicted of specific firearm-related offenses, prohibiting them from purchasing or possessing firearms for one year. Additionally, retail dealers must inform purchasers about the New Jersey Safe Storage of Firearms Act, and the Attorney General will collect data on the bill's impact on public safety, submitting annual reports to the Legislature. The bill modifies eligibility for the KeepSafe program rebate and repeals existing requirements for written warnings and signage by retail dealers.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 2C:58-17, 2C:58-16