America struggles with gun violence throughout the country; there are several mass shootings a year, millions of guns are in private ownership, and there are many accidental deaths as a result. Many people firmly believe in the right to carry a weapon, and many states have laws permitting owners to conceal and carry, or even openly carry, their weapon.
The U.S. Supreme Court's decision in N.Y. State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen, 142 S. Ct. 2111 (2022) (Bruen) declared unconstitutional a New York law that only permitted public carry licenses when an applicant demonstrated a special need for self-defense. States with similar laws either on the books or in the works have seen legislators pulling together amendments or completely rewriting bills to stay abreast of the Bruen decision.
A bill was recently introduced to the New Jersey legislature that would compel state residents wishing to carry a gun in public not only to undergo rigorous safety training, but also to purchase a separate liability policy. New Jersey has long been known for its strict gun laws, which may be part of the reason it was among the top three states with the fewest gun-related deaths in 2020; the other two were Hawaii and Massachusetts.
The bill would require applicants for a concealed-carry license to provide no fewer than four non-family character references to be interviewed by law enforcement and a $200 application fee. Any applicants would also be required to complete a safety training course, prescribed by the Superintendent of the State Police. Such measures would ensure that gun owners have some standard training and there would be coverage for accidental shootings.
New Jersey is not the first state to try to enforce stiffer regulations on gun owners in an attempt to end the alarming number of deaths related to gunshots. The City Council of San Jose, California voted in favor of an ordinance requiring anyone who owns or possesses a firearm to purchase a liability policy from a California-admitted carrier; this ordinance became effective in August 2022.
Discussions surrounding stemming gun violence often include an insurance component. The problem is that insurance will never provide coverage for intentional harm caused to anyone as such acts are not insurable. Therefore coverage would only be provided for accidental shooting, such as when a child finds a loaded weapon and accidentally shoots a friend. If an individual takes an automatic weapon to a public place and shoots a number of individuals, that will not be covered. Legislation requiring training and insurance is a small start in solving America's issues surrounding gun violence.
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