This bill requires New Jersey's Commission on Human Trafficking to investigate how traffickers use online gaming and social media platforms to target victims, develop prevention strategies, and recommend legislative solutions. The 15-member commission, already tasked with evaluating human trafficking laws and victim services, must now specifically study online platform exploitation as part of its annual duties. The commission will report its findings and recommendations to the governor and legislature each year. This bill does not create new laws but directs the commission to focus on preventing trafficking through digital platforms.
This bill requires New Jersey's Attorney General to create a dedicated Human Trafficking Unit within the Department of Law and Public Safety. The unit must include assistant or deputy attorneys general (with one designated as Coordinator) and will handle criminal prosecutions, assist counties in investigations, connect victims to support services, and collaborate with state agencies like Health, Labor, and the State Police. It also mandates ongoing training for law enforcement on trafficking cases and requires an annual public awareness campaign to educate about trafficking signs, consequences, and victim support. The Coordinator must report yearly to the Governor and Legislature on the unit's work and suggest improvements. This directly affects victims, law enforcement, county prosecutors, and state agencies working on trafficking cases.
SCR 90 establishes a new Joint Committee on Human Trafficking in New Jersey, composed of six legislators (three from the Senate appointed by the Senate President, three from the Assembly appointed by the Speaker). The committee’s role is to assess the state’s current human trafficking programs, consult with agencies like the Attorney General’s Human Trafficking Unit and academic experts, and identify improvements to make these efforts more effective. It must hold public meetings, document its work, and submit an annual report with recommendations to legislative leaders and relevant committees. This resolution does not create new laws but creates a structured process for studying and improving existing anti-trafficking initiatives.
This bill prohibits courts from awarding custody or visitation rights to individuals convicted of specific sex crimes against minors, including criminal sexual contact, luring children, human trafficking involving minors, lewdness, or promoting child prostitution. It expands existing law to cover additional offenses beyond sexual assault, requiring courts to deny such rights unless clear and convincing evidence shows it is in the child’s best interest. The law applies to all minor children, including those who were victims or born from the crime. Courts must delay enforcement for 10 days to allow appeals, but it does not terminate parental rights or affect child support obligations.
ACR 24 establishes a bipartisan "Joint Committee on Human Trafficking" in New Jersey to study and evaluate the state's current human trafficking initiatives, programs, and support services. The six-member committee (three Senate appointees, three Assembly appointees, with no more than two from the same party) will consult state agencies like the Attorney General's Human Trafficking Unit and academic experts to identify improvements and effective solutions. The committee must hold public meetings, document its work, and submit annual reports with findings and legislative recommendations to legislative leaders. This resolution creates a procedural body to oversee and improve anti-trafficking efforts without changing existing laws.
This bill establishes the New Jersey Human Trafficking Criminal Registry, requiring the Attorney General to create an online database with details about individuals convicted of specific human trafficking offenses (including trafficking, aiding trafficking, or advertising commercial sexual abuse of minors). The registry categorizes people by status (incarcerated, on parole, in community release programs, or out-of-state parolees) and includes names, sentences, addresses, and criminal history. It also mandates one-time training for police on trafficking identification and for hotel/motel staff and healthcare workers on recognizing and responding to suspected trafficking cases. These training requirements must be completed within specific timeframes by affected employees and are tied to license maintenance.
This bill redirects fines from specific prostitution-related convictions to the "Human Trafficking Survivor's Assistance Fund." It applies to fines collected for offenses under subsection b. paragraphs (2), (3), (4), (5), (6), or (7) of N.J.S.2C:34-1, which include promoting prostitution of minors, compelling others into prostitution, or other serious violations. The funds will be deposited into the existing state fund established to support trafficking survivors, as specified in prior law. This policy change modifies where penalty money goes but does not alter the definition of prostitution or the penalties themselves. The bill affects individuals convicted of these specific prostitution-related offenses in New Jersey.
This bill (A 2765) requires specific groups to complete human trafficking training as a condition of employment or licensing. Law enforcement officers responding to domestic violence or sexual assault cases must complete training developed by the Police Training Commission. Hotels/motels must provide one-time training to owners, operators, and staff (linked to license maintenance), while healthcare facility employees must complete similar training (tied to facility licensing). Judges and court staff must also complete awareness training on human trafficking impacts and victim rights. The bill mandates these trainings be reviewed every two years.
This bill creates a legal defense for victims of human trafficking who commit crimes while being trafficked. It allows individuals to avoid prosecution for offenses (like theft or assault) committed as a direct result of their trafficking situation, provided they were trafficking victims at the time of the offense. The defense applies even if the trafficking case against them didn't result in a conviction. It directly affects people exploited through human trafficking who may have broken laws while trying to survive or escape. The law amends New Jersey's criminal code to explicitly recognize this defense, shifting focus from punishing victims to addressing their exploitation.
This bill changes sentencing for human trafficking convictions in New Jersey. It makes human trafficking crimes (including labor exploitation and sexual trafficking of adults or children) punishable as first-degree offenses, requiring a minimum 20-year prison sentence with no parole eligibility for 20 years. Convicted traffickers must also pay restitution to victims based on New Jersey's prevailing wage laws, and fines collected will fund a survivor assistance program. The law directly affects traffickers convicted under these provisions, increasing penalties and ensuring victims receive financial compensation.
