New Jersey Governor Signs New Gun Laws Including ‘Smart Gun’ Requirement

Democratic New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy signed several gun control bills into law Tuesday, including one mandating gun dealers carry “smart guns” once they are available.

Murphy signed a total of four gun control measures into law at Livingston High School before several members of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, The Associated press reported.

“I am proud to work with our legislators to implement some of the toughest gun laws in the country to protect our residents and make our communities safer for all,” Murphy said during the event Tuesday.

The new law forms a “smart gun” commission and mandates gun retailers offer models equipped with trigger-lock technology 60 days after one becomes available for commercial sale and gets commission approval, the NJ Advance reported.

A “smart gun” is one that can be personalized to be operated by the gun’s owner only. Prototypes using a number of different technologies exist, but no models are yet available in the U.S. for sale, according to the NJ Advance.

It replaces a 2002 law that required gun retailers to stop selling non “smart” models three years after the smart guns became available for purchase, which effectively stopped gun manufacturers from developing them.

Other bills signed encourage gun dealers and gun range operators to attend suicide prevention courses, add non-firearm-related convictions to crimes that disqualify people from gun ownership, and make it illegal to buy a gun from someone disqualified from owning a gun.