A 124 New Jersey General Assembly · 2026-2027 Regular Session

Upgrades simple assault to aggravated assault for State-employed civil investigators.

This bill changes New Jersey law to classify simple assault against state-employed civil investigators as aggravated assault. It directly affects civil investigators working for state departments or agencies when they are clearly identifiable as performing their duties. The key provision adds a new category (1)(l) to the aggravated assault definition, automatically upgrading simple assault to aggravated assault in these specific cases. This is a classification change only - no new penalties are created, but the offense would be treated more seriously under existing law.

Issues: ✗ Criminal Justice

Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2026

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Jan 13, 2026 Last action May 28, 2026

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What changed between versions

Technical Review Of Prefiled Bill → Introduced · 4 edits · Jan 13, 2026

MODERATE

The introduced version of A124 removes two substantive provisions that were present in the technical review version: (1) aggravated assault protection for employees of retail stores and mercantile establishments, and (2) enhanced penalties specifically for assaulting a law enforcement officer resulting in serious bodily injury (which had upgraded the offense to second degree, prevented merger with other charges, created a mandatory incarceration exception, and barred eligibility for supervisory treatment programs). A bill statement was added describing the purpose as extending aggravated assault protection to State-employed civil investigators, though that provision already existed in the prior version.

Scope change

The bill's scope narrowed by removing aggravated assault protections for retail employees and removing enhanced penalties for serious assaults on law enforcement officers. The remaining civil investigator protection was already present in the prior version.

SCOPE

Removed paragraph (l) which provided aggravated assault protection for employees of stores and other retail mercantile establishments while engaged in their duties, including cashiers, salespersons, loss prevention staff, and others who interact with customers.

ENFORCEMENT

Removed enhanced penalty provisions for aggravated assault of a law enforcement officer resulting in serious bodily injury: the upgrade to a second-degree crime, the non-merger rule preventing conviction from merging with other offenses, the exception to mandatory incarceration under C.2C:43-7.2, and the ineligibility for supervisory treatment programs under C.2C:43-12 through 2C:43-22.

TECHNICAL

Added a bill statement explaining that the bill provides aggravated assault protection for civil investigators employed by State departments or agencies, though this provision was already present in the prior version as paragraph (m) and is simply renumbered to (l).

Changed the cross-reference from P.L.2025, c.39, s.3 to P.L.2021, c.352, s.1, shifting the legislative context of the amendment.

Floor votes

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Full legislative history

Actions timeline

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Key actions

Committee

May 28, 2026

Committee

Reported and Referred to Assembly Judiciary Committee

lower

Jan 13, 2026

Introduced

Introduced, Referred to Assembly Public Safety and Preparedness Committee

lower

3 primary · 0 co-sponsors