This bill makes knowingly making a false report of child abuse or neglect a crime. It targets individuals who submit false reports under New Jersey's child abuse reporting law, imposing a third-degree criminal penalty (up to 5 years in prison or a $15,000 fine) and adding a separate civil penalty of up to $10,000. The civil penalty funds the Department of Children and Families. The law applies immediately upon enactment and directly affects people who file false reports, not the victims or reporting systems.
New Jersey's A1203 "CJ's Law" would make it illegal to manufacture or distribute substances containing kratom under specific circumstances by amending the state's controlled substances laws. The bill defines "controlled dangerous substances" broadly to include substances that metabolize into controlled drugs, directly targeting kratom products. This would affect businesses and individuals involved in producing or selling kratom-based products, shifting them from current legal status to criminalized activity under new penalties. The bill is currently pending in the Assembly Judiciary Committee after introduction on January 13, 2026.
This bill makes it a fourth-degree crime to intentionally tamper with or interfere with someone else's electronic device (including smart home systems, security systems, phones, or cameras) with the purpose of harassing them. It defines "electronic device" broadly to cover any device capable of transmitting or recording information electronically. Violations carry penalties of up to 18 months in jail, a $10,000 fine, or both. The law applies directly to individuals who engage in such interference, not to the devices or systems themselves.
This bill amends New Jersey law to classify intentionally damaging or defacing a military monument as a third-degree crime, rather than a lesser disorderly persons offense. It defines "desecrate" as defacing, damaging, or polluting, and specifies that a "military monument" includes any structure honoring military personnel or commemorating battles. The law directly affects individuals who purposefully harm such monuments, with penalties for third-degree crimes. The bill takes effect immediately upon enactment.
S 3304 upgrades "strict liability vehicular homicide" from a third-degree to a second-degree crime in New Jersey. This applies when someone causes death while driving intoxicated (violating N.J.S.A. 39:4-50) or operating a vessel under the influence (violating N.J.S.A. 12:7-46). The bill removes defenses related to the victim's conduct, establishes strict liability where intoxication directly caused death, and eliminates the presumption of nonimprisonment. The penalty increases from 3-5 years imprisonment (third degree) to 5-10 years (second degree), with fines rising to $150,000. This aligns penalties with similar offenses like reckless vehicular homicide.
This New Jersey bill (A1598) prohibits the expungement (clearing from public records) of any arrest, charge, or conviction related to domestic violence, even if the case was dismissed, the person was acquitted, or discharged without conviction. It directly affects individuals with domestic violence-related cases in their criminal history, barring them from having those records sealed under standard expungement rules. The key provision adds a specific exception to existing expungement law, stating that "any person who has been arrested or held to answer for a crime or offense involving domestic violence" cannot qualify for record sealing, regardless of case outcome. This change applies uniformly to all domestic violence cases under New Jersey law, without exceptions for dismissed charges or acquittals. The bill remains in early legislative stages (introduced January 2026, referred to Judiciary Committee).
The New Jersey Laken Riley Act requires law enforcement to check the immigration status of non-citizens arrested for specific serious crimes - including violent offenses, certain traffic violations causing injury, or federal "aggravated felonies." If confirmed as unlawfully present, these individuals face a legal presumption of pretrial detention, overriding the state's bail reform law. The bill mandates compliance with federal immigration detainer requests and repeals a prior law prohibiting local jails from holding immigrants for federal authorities. It also rescinds New Jersey's "Immigrant Trust Directive," aligning state procedures with federal immigration enforcement priorities.
This bill makes it a crime for private drone operators to fly drones equipped with weapons. Specifically, it criminalizes operating a civilian drone (owned by individuals or businesses) with any weapon designed to harm people, such as firearms or projectiles. Violators face up to 18 months in jail or a $10,000 fine. The bill is currently pending before the Assembly Judiciary Committee after being introduced on January 13, 2026.
This bill criminalizes squatting in vacant homes by creating three new offenses: "housebreaking" (forcibly entering without permission to live there), "unlawful occupancy" (living in a vacant home without permission), and "unlawful reentry" (returning after being evicted via court order). It presumes people know they lack permission unless they have a notarized rental agreement with the owner's contact details. The law directly affects individuals occupying vacant properties without legal authorization, making these acts fourth-degree crimes punishable by up to 18 months in jail or a $10,000 fine. The bill aims to replace current eviction processes with criminal penalties for unauthorized occupancy.
This bill (A1425) revises New Jersey's criminal trespassing penalties when a firearm is carried. It elevates trespassing offenses to higher criminal degrees in specific locations - such as schools, dwellings, hazardous facilities, or airports - if a firearm is present, regardless of whether the person holds a valid permit. For example, trespassing in a dwelling with a firearm becomes a third-degree crime (3-5 years imprisonment) instead of a fourth-degree offense. The bill also creates an inference that a firearm-carrying trespasser knew they weren’t licensed to enter, didn’t follow posted rules, or reasonably believed they’d be allowed. It directly affects anyone committing trespass in designated locations while carrying a firearm.
