STATE OF NEW JERSEY
220th LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2022 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman SHANIQUE SPEIGHT
District 29 (Essex)
Assemblywoman VERLINA REYNOLDS-JACKSON
District 15 (Hunterdon and Mercer)
Assemblyman ANTHONY S. VERRELLI
District 15 (Hunterdon and Mercer)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblywomen McKnight, Sawyer, Assemblyman McClellan and Assemblywoman Timberlake
SYNOPSIS
Establishes pilot program in certain municipalities to make grants available to non-profit organizations to perform outreach and provide services to victims of human trafficking.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Act establishing a pilot program in certain municipalities to make grants available to non-profit organizations to perform outreach and provide services to victims of human trafficking.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. The Department of Law and Public Safety shall establish a three-year pilot program to make grants available to non-profit organizations to perform outreach in the community and deliver services to victims of human trafficking in conjunction with law enforcement agencies, the Victims of Crime Compensation Office, and other victims’ rights organizations. The pilot program shall be established in the six urban municipalities with the highest crime index in this State, according to the most recent Uniform Crime Report prepared by the New Jersey Division of State Police and in six municipalities that are located near ports and have significant minority populations, as determined by the Attorney General. Application to the pilot program shall be made on forms and pursuant to procedures prescribed by the department.
b. The department shall submit a report evaluating the implementation and operation of the pilot program to the Governor and, pursuant to the provisions of section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), to the Legislature within 90 days after the completion of the pilot program. The report shall recommend whether the pilot program should be continued, expanded, or made permanent.
2. This act shall take effect immediately and shall expire upon the filing of the report required pursuant to subsection b. of section 1 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).
STATEMENT
This bill establishes a pilot program in certain municipalities to make grants available to non-profit organizations to perform outreach and provide services to victims of human trafficking.
Specifically, under the provisions of this bill, the Department of Law and Public Safety is required to establish a three-year pilot program to make grants available to non-profit organizations to perform outreach in the community and deliver services to victims of human trafficking in conjunction with law enforcement agencies, the Victims of Crime Compensation Office, and other victims’ rights organizations.
The pilot program is to be established in six urban municipalities with the highest crime index in this State, according to the most recent Uniform Crime Report prepared by the New Jersey Division of State Police and in six municipalities that are located near ports and have significant minority populations, as determined by the Attorney General.
Finally, the bill requires the department to submit a report evaluating the effectiveness of the pilot program to the Governor and the Legislature within 90 days after the completion of the pilot program. The report is to recommend whether the pilot program should be continued, expanded, or made permanent.