Upgrades assault on victims who are disabled.

This bill amends New Jersey's assault statute to elevate certain assaults against specific healthcare workers to aggravated assault. It directly affects direct care workers at State or county psychiatric hospitals, developmental centers, or veterans' homes who are clearly performing their duties. The key provision (added as subsection b(5)(k)) makes it aggravated assault to intentionally cause bodily injury to these workers while they're identifiable in their roles, increasing penalties. The law does not cover disabled individuals as victims but protects the workers who support them. The bill is currently pending before the Assembly Judiciary Committee after introduction on January 13, 2026.