This bill upgrades penalties for failing to report child abuse or cooperate with investigations in New Jersey. It increases the penalty for failing to report general child abuse from a disorderly persons offense to a fourth-degree crime (up to 18 months in jail or $10,000 fine). For sexual abuse reports, the penalty rises from a fourth-degree to a third-degree crime (3-5 years in jail or $15,000 fine). It also creates a new fourth-degree crime for failing to cooperate with child abuse investigations conducted by the Division of Child Protection and Permanency. These changes apply to anyone with reasonable cause to believe abuse occurred, such as mandated reporters (e.g., teachers, healthcare workers).
This bill requires New Jersey's Department of Corrections (DOC) to submit quarterly reports to the state legislature on residential community release programs, including halfway houses. The reports must detail specific data such as reimbursement amounts, inmate demographics (violent vs. non-violent crimes), escape rates, safety measures, physical violence incidents, and disciplinary actions. Additionally, the DOC must annually analyze program effectiveness with a focus on recidivism rates and submit improvement recommendations to the legislature. The bill directly affects the DOC's reporting obligations and provides the legislature with detailed operational data on these reentry programs.
This bill (A 1764) requires county correctional facilities in New Jersey to provide specific reentry assistance to inmates sentenced to incarceration who were denied bail under recent bail reform law. At least 10 days before release, facilities must give inmates a copy of their criminal history, information about voting rights and expungement, details on employment/vocational programs, a record of their prison program participation, and a written accounting of financial obligations like fines or child support. It also mandates assistance obtaining a non-driver ID card, birth certificate (if NJ-born), Social Security card, and access to medical records. The goal is to help formerly incarcerated individuals access essential services and reduce barriers to reintegration.
This bill allows New Jersey county correctional facilities to use inmate welfare funds for reentry services that help incarcerated individuals transition to community life after release. Specifically, it permits counties to spend these funds - currently used for amenities like recreation, library materials, and commissary items - to pay staff salaries for coordinating access to benefits such as Medicaid, housing assistance, and substance abuse treatment. The policy directly affects county correctional facilities and the inmates they serve, expanding the permitted use of existing welfare funds beyond in-facility amenities. It requires no new funding, instead redirecting existing county inmate welfare resources toward post-release support.
This bill establishes a 500-foot drug-free zone around licensed child care centers in New Jersey, prohibiting the distribution, possession, or dispensing of controlled dangerous substances within that area. It directly affects individuals who sell or distribute drugs near these centers, with violations classified as a third-degree crime carrying mandatory minimum prison terms (one-third to one-half of the sentence, or one year for small marijuana amounts, or three years for other drugs). Key provisions require courts to impose parole ineligibility during these minimum terms, though judges may reduce penalties if children weren't present, violence wasn't involved, or the offense occurred outside school hours. The law also includes an affirmative defense for offenses entirely within private residences with no minors present and no profit motive. The bill is currently pending before the Assembly Children, Families and Food Security Committee.
This bill (S 2156) expands New Jersey's cyber-harassment law to include online communications made with "reckless disregard" for another person's safety, in addition to intentional harassment. It directly affects internet users who post threatening, lewd, or obscene content online, minors convicted of cyber-harassment, and their parents or guardians. Key provisions make reckless cyber-harassment a disorderly persons offense (up to 6 months jail or $1,000 fine), while intentional acts remain fourth-degree crimes. For minors under 16, courts may require education programs on cyber-harassment, and parents can be fined up to $500 for failing to comply with these orders. The bill does not change penalties for intentional harassment but broadens the definition to cover reckless online behavior.
This bill (S 933) amends New Jersey law to criminalize knowingly harboring or helping an undocumented immigrant who has an outstanding arrest or immigration warrant. It makes this a fourth-degree crime (up to 18 months in prison or $10,000 fine), unless the person helped is a close family member (spouse, parent, child), in which case it becomes a lesser offense. The law also creates an exception: undocumented immigrants who are victims of human trafficking cannot be prosecuted for hindering their own apprehension. It directly affects individuals who knowingly assist undocumented immigrants evading lawful arrest or deportation.
S 2396 upgrades burglary of a residence to a second-degree crime and elevates it to a first-degree crime if committed while armed with a weapon or explosives. This directly affects individuals convicted of burglarizing homes (dwellings or structures adapted for overnight stays), changing their sentencing level based on whether they were armed during the offense. Under the bill, second-degree burglary (unarmed residence burglary) carries a 5-10 year prison term, while first-degree burglary (armed residence burglary) would now carry a higher penalty. The bill amends New Jersey’s burglary statute (N.J.S.2C:18-2) and aligns sentencing with existing parole requirements for serious crimes. The bill was introduced in the Senate on January 13, 2026.
New Jersey's S 1016 prohibits knowingly using misleading or false caller ID information to defraud, harm, or obtain value through phone calls or texts within the state. It directly affects scammers, fraudsters, and anyone manipulating caller ID with malicious intent. The bill makes violations a fourth-degree crime punishable by up to 18 months in jail, a $10,000 fine, or both. Key exceptions include federal law compliance (like the Truth in Caller ID Act), court orders, and legitimate law enforcement activities.
This bill (S 3232) amends New Jersey law by upgrading the crime of transporting firearms into the state for unlawful sale or transfer from a second-degree to a first-degree offense under N.J.S.2C:39-9(i). It directly affects individuals who knowingly bring firearms into New Jersey with the intent to illegally sell, transfer, or dispose of them. The key change increases the severity of punishment for this specific act, moving it from a second-degree crime (currently punishable by 5-10 years in prison) to a first-degree crime (10-20 years). This amendment targets the transportation phase of illegal firearm sales, not manufacturing or other firearm-related offenses.
