N.J. First to OK ‘Smart-Gun’ Law
New Jersey on Monday became the first state to enact “smart gun” legislation that would eventually require new handguns to contain technology that allows only their owners to fire them.
However, the bill signed into law by Gov. James E. McGreevey will not go into effect immediately because the technology is still being developed. It could be years and cost millions before the technology becomes a reality.
“This is common-sense legislation. There are safety regulations on cars, on toys. It’s clearly time we have safety regulations on handguns,” McGreevey said.
Under the law, smart-gun technology will be required in all new handguns sold three years after the state attorney general determines a smart gun prototype is safe and commercially available. Weapons used by law enforcement officers would be exempt until a separate decision on whether the requirement should apply to them.
The New Jersey Institute of Technology is developing a smart gun prototype that would use sensors on the pistol grip to identify a user.
The owner would have his or her grip programmed at a gun shop or police range by practice-firing the weapon.
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