A 2951 New Jersey General Assembly · 2026-2027 Regular Session

Revises child pornography law.

This bill revises New Jersey's child pornography law by clarifying and expanding criminal penalties for offenses involving minors. It defines "distribute" broadly to include any internet sharing (without requiring compensation) and makes it a first-degree crime for caregivers who cause children to engage in prohibited sexual acts knowing recordings may occur. The law establishes strict liability for the age of depicted children - defendants cannot claim they believed the child was 16+ - and increases penalties for possessing or distributing material showing minors in prohibited acts (e.g., sexual intercourse, nudity for stimulation). It directly affects anyone creating, distributing, or possessing such material involving children under 16, with specific provisions for digital reproduction and online sharing.
Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2026
Committee Review
Floor Vote
Governor
Introduced Jan 13, 2026 Last action Jan 13, 2026
Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
1
Key actions
0
Committee
0
Jan 13, 2026
Introduced
Introduced, Referred to Assembly Judiciary Committee
lower
1 primary · 3 co-sponsors

Sponsors