Bill Text: NJ A1714 | 2022-2023 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Expands locations where information on availability of crime victims' compensation is to be posted or disseminated to include courtrooms and emergency rooms.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2023-06-15 - Combined with A1711 (ACS) [A1714 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2022-A1714-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
220th LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2022 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman SHANIQUE SPEIGHT
District 29 (Essex)
SYNOPSIS
Expands locations where information on availability of crime victims' compensation is to be posted or disseminated to include courtrooms and emergency rooms.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Act concerning crime victims' compensation and amending P.L.1981, c.256.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Section 1 of P.L.1981, c.256 (C.52:4B-22) is amended to read as follows:
1. a. [Every State, county, and municipal police department and hospital or other place of emergency medical care shall have available and shall post in a public place information] The Victims of Crime Compensation Office shall supply information booklets, pamphlets, or other pertinent written information[, to be supplied by the Victims of Crime Compensation Agency,] relating to the availability of crime victims' compensation, including all necessary application blanks required to be filed with the [agency] office, and shall post or disseminate this information in a public place in every:
(1) State, county, and municipal police department;
(2) courtroom in each county courthouse and municipal court; and
(3) hospital or other place of emergency care including, but not limited to, every emergency department of a general hospital and every satellite emergency department licensed pursuant to P.L.1971, c.136 (C.26:2H-1 et seq.).
b. Included in the information supplied by the [Victims of Crime Compensation Agency] office shall be information for victims of sexual offenses. This information shall contain the location of rape crisis centers in all geographical areas throughout the State and shall instruct victims of sexual offenses that if a rape crisis center is not available in a victim's immediate geographical area, the victim may contact the appropriate county victim-witness coordinator appointed by the Chief of the Office of Victim-Witness Advocacy established pursuant to P.L.1985, c.404 (C.52:4B-39 et seq.). The information shall also provide that victims will not be charged any fee for services that are directly associated with a forensic sexual assault examination, including routine medical screening, medications for prophylaxis of sexually transmitted infections, pregnancy tests, emergency contraception, supplies, equipment, and use of space.
Unless the victim requires immediate medical attention, this information shall be personally conveyed to the victim of a sexual offense by a representative of the hospital or place of emergency care before a medical examination of the victim is conducted, or by a representative of the police department before the victim's statement is taken, to afford the victim the opportunity to arrange to have assistance from the rape crisis center or county victim-witness coordinator during these procedures. Hospitals shall be held harmless from suits emanating from a hospital's carrying out the obligation to convey information to victims of sexual offenses.
"Rape crisis center" means an office, institution or center offering assistance to victims of sexual offenses through crisis intervention, medical and legal information, and follow-up counseling.
c. Every police department shall, upon the filing of a report of a violent crime, make available to any victim information concerning crime victims' compensation.
(cf: P.L.2011, c.106, s.1)
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill expands the locations where information booklets, pamphlets, and other information concerning the availability of crime victims' compensation is to be posted or disseminated.
Current law requires the Victims of Crime Compensation Office (VCCO) to supply information booklets, pamphlets, and other pertinent written information relating to the availability of crime victims' compensation, including application blanks, and to post or make this information available in every State, county, and municipal police department, as well as in every hospital or other place of emergency medical care.
This bill expands the locations where the information is to be posted or disseminated to include courtrooms in each county courthouse and municipal court. The bill also clarifies that the information is to be posted or disseminated in emergency rooms of general hospitals and satellite emergency departments licensed by the Department of Health.
