Concerns false public alarms involving places of worship.
This bill increases penalties for false alarms targeting places of worship in New Jersey. It amends the state's false alarm law to make such incidents a second-degree crime (carrying 5-10 years in prison or fines up to $150,000), while raising the minimum civil penalty from $2,000 to $5,000 (or actual response costs, whichever is higher). The law specifically defines "place of worship" as a building seating over 50 people used permanently for religious services by a recognized 501(c)(3) organization. It directly affects individuals who falsely report emergencies at churches, synagogues, or temples, and requires law enforcement to report such incidents annually. The bill aims to deter false alarms that disrupt religious gatherings and strain emergency resources.
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 · 12 co-sponsors
Sponsors
Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Gary Schaer
DDemocratic
Co
Alex Sauickie
RRepublican
Co
Anthony Verrelli
DDemocratic
Co
Avi Schnall
DDemocratic
Co
Bob Auth
RRepublican
Co
Dawn Fantasia
RRepublican
Co
John DiMaio
RRepublican
Co
Mike Inganamort
RRepublican
Co
Mitchelle Drulis
DDemocratic
Co
Rosy Bagolie
DDemocratic
Co
Sean Kean
RRepublican
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