SENATE LAW AND PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

SENATE, No. 3893

with committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  JUNE 19, 2025

      The Senate Law and Public Safety Committee reports favorably and with committee amendments Senate Bill No. 3893.

      As amended and reported by the committee, this bill revises the definition of machine gun to include certain conversion parts.  Under current law, a machine gun is defined as any firearm, mechanism, or instrument not requiring that the trigger be pressed for each shot and having a reservoir, belt or other means of storing and carrying ammunition which can be loaded into the firearm, mechanism, or instrument and fired therefrom.  This bill clarifies that a machine gun also includes the frame or receiver of the firearm, any part designed and intended solely and exclusively, or combination of parts designed and intended, for use in converting a firearm into a machine gun, and any combination of parts from which a machine gun can be assembled if such parts are in the possession or under the control of a person.  Under current law, it is a second degree crime to possess a machine gun.  A crime of the second degree is punishable by five to 10 years imprisonment, a fine of up to $150,000, or both.

      This bill establishes the crime of possessing or selling a machine gun conversion device, which the bill defines as any device capable of converting a firearm into a machine gun.  The bill also clarifies that a person who knowingly possesses machine gun conversion devices, bump stocks, and trigger cranks but who does not possess a firearm to which those components may be affixed is guilty of a crime of the third degree.

      In addition, the bill also establishes a third degree crime of manufacturing, transporting, shipping, selling, or disposing of a machine gun conversion device.  A crime of the third degree is punishable by three to five years imprisonment, a fine of up to $15,000, or both. 

      As reported by the committee, Senate Bill No. 3893 is identical to Assembly Bill No. 4974 (1R), which also was reported by the committee on this date.

COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS

The committee amended the bill to:

      1) revise the definition of machine gun under current law to include certain conversion parts;

      2) revise the definition of machine gun conversion device as defined under the bill; and

      3) clarify that a person who knowingly possesses machine gun conversion devices, bump stocks, and trigger cranks but who does not possess a firearm to which those components may be affixed is guilty of a crime of the third degree.