S 2540 New Jersey Senate · 2026-2027 Regular Session

Requires court to provide certain defendants with referral for mental health and substance abuse evaluation.

This bill (S 2540) amends New Jersey's pretrial release procedures to clarify that courts may require defendants to undergo mental health or substance abuse treatment as a condition of release. It specifies that courts must consider mental health treatment (under subsection i) alongside other non-monetary conditions - like curfews, employment requirements, or electronic monitoring - to ensure defendants appear in court and do not endanger others. The bill directly affects defendants facing pretrial detention who are deemed eligible for release but pose risks requiring structured supervision. It does not create new referral systems but refines existing release conditions to explicitly include treatment options for mental health/substance abuse issues. The bill is currently pending in the Senate Judiciary Committee.
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
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Jan 13, 2026
Introduced
Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Judiciary Committee
upper
0 primary · 0 co-sponsors

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