Rep. Holly Schepisi Introduces Bill To Ban Bump Stocks

BERGEN COUNTY, NJ — A North Jersey state assemblywoman is proposing banning "bump stocks," attachments that enable a semiautomatic rifle to fire faster.

A "bump stock" replaces a rifle standard stock, the part of the firearm held against the shoulder. It allows the weapon to go back and forth rapidly by using the energy in the recoil when the weapon fires.

The stock "bumps" forward and backward between the shooter's trigger finger and shoulder, causing the rifle to fire more quickly with the shooter holding down the trigger.

Assemblywoman Holly Schepisi (R-District 39) introduced legislation that would ban"bump stocks" in New Jersey and prohibit stores from selling them.

"Bump stocks" have come under considerable criticism since authorities found 12 guns outfitted with them in the hotel room of the Las Vegas shooter who killed 58 people and wounded more than 500 others Sunday night.

“No civilian should ever have access to an automatic weapon. I had never heard of a bump stock before this week, but I strongly believe we should ban them so weapons cannot be converted to automatic,” Schepisi said in a news release. “A man with no prior indication of mental illness or arrests murdered nearly sixty Americans and injured hundreds more by easily converting a weapon into an automatic machine gun."

"Bump stocks" were approved by the Obama administration in 2010 as a way to help people with disabilities fire a semi-automatic rifle. While the intent to make bump stocks legal to ensure parity for those with disabilities, these items have instead resulted in weapons being illegally converted, state Assembly Republicans said in the release.

Schepisi's bill would require "bump stock" owners to return the add-ons to police.

"Even though New Jersey has some of the most strict gun laws in the nation, my concern does not go away," Schepisi said. "I have long been a proponent of sensible gun safety measures to protect our communities, while finding a balance to protect second-amendment rights of law-abiding Americans who, for the most part, are responsible gun owners.”

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Photo: A bump stock device, (left) that fits on a semi-automatic rifle to increase the firing speed, making it similar to a fully automatic rifle, is installed on a AK-47 semi-automatic rifle, (right). Congress is talking about banning this device after it was reported to of been used in the Las Vegas shootings on Oct. 1. (Photo by George Frey/Getty Images)