Concerns false public alarms involving places of worship.

New Jersey's S 3269 amends state law to specifically address false alarms targeting religious sites, making such acts a second-degree crime (vs. third-degree for general false alarms). It defines "place of worship" as buildings seating over 50 people used regularly for religious services by registered 501(c)(3) organizations. The bill increases civil penalties for false alarms involving these sites to a minimum of $5,000 or actual emergency response costs (vs. $2,000 for general false alarms). It also requires annual reporting of such incidents by law enforcement to state authorities.