Bill Text: NJ A1946 | 2024-2025 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Requires Division of Violence Intervention and Victim Assistance to review and implement strategies and systemic modifications to assist crime victims and expands locations for posting information on crime victims' compensation.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-01-09 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Public Safety and Preparedness Committee [A1946 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2024-A1946-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
221st LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2024 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman SHANIQUE SPEIGHT
District 29 (Essex and Hudson)
Assemblyman REGINALD W. ATKINS
District 20 (Union)
SYNOPSIS
Requires Division of Violence Intervention and Victim Assistance to review and implement strategies and systemic modifications to assist crime victims and expands locations for posting information on crime victims' compensation.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Act concerning victims of crime, amending P.L.1981, c.256, and supplementing Title 52 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. (New section) a. The Division of Violence Intervention and Victim Assistance shall review, develop, and implement strategies and systemic modifications to assist crime victims and their families in applying for compensation from the Victims of Crime Compensation Office in accordance with the provisions of P.L.1971, c.317 (C.52:4B-1 et seq.).
b. Strategies and systemic modifications the division shall consider may include, but not be limited to:
1) dispatching employees or other individuals to hospitals or other places of emergency care to provide assistance at the request of victims or their family members; and
2) establishing mechanisms, such as a 24-hour toll-free telephone hotline or electronic mail, through which victims or their family members may request emergency assistance to facilitate completing and submitting applications for compensation.
2. 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 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.
d. The office shall include in the information supplied to victims of crime pursuant to this section the availability of emergency assistance from an employee of the office at the hospital or other place of emergency care and the hotline and electronic mail established for the purpose of requesting this assistance pursuant to section 1 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).
(cf: P.L.2011, c.106, s.1)
3. This act shall take effect on the first day of the seventh month next following enactment.
STATEMENT
This bill requires the Division of Violence Intervention and Victim Assistance to review, develop, and implement strategies and systemic modifications to assist crime victims and their families in applying for compensation from the Victims of Crime Compensation Office in accordance with the provisions of P.L.1971, c.317 (C.52:4B-1 et seq.).
The bill also expands the locations where information booklets, pamphlets, and other information concerning the availability of crime victims' compensation 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.
