SENATE BUDGET AND APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

[First Reprint]

ASSEMBLY, No. 1727  

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  DECEMBER 14, 2023

      The Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee reports favorably Assembly Bill No. 1727 (1R).

      This bill provides that the Attorney General is to utilize the resources of the Department of Law and Public Safety to perform outreach in the community and deliver services to victims of human trafficking in conjunction with other governmental entities, the Victims of Crime Compensation Office, and other victims’ rights organizations through means as the Attorney General deems appropriate.

     In addition, the bill authorizes the Attorney General to establish, within the limits of available funds, a pilot program to award grants to service providers to perform outreach and deliver services to victims of human trafficking in urban municipalities with the highest crime index in this State and in municipalities that are located near major maritime transportation hubs and have significant minority populations, as determined by the Attorney General.

     The bill provides that upon completion, any pilot program is to be evaluated to determine the effectiveness of the pilot program, with a recommendation as to whether the pilot program should be continued, expanded, or made permanent.

      As reported by the committee, Assembly Bill No. 1727 (1R) is identical to Senate Bill No. 3300, which was also reported by the committee on this date.

FISCAL IMPACT:

      The Office of Legislative Services (OLS) concludes that this legislation should not result in an increase in State expenditures as the bill requires the Attorney General to utilize the existing resources of the Department of Law and Public Safety (DLPS) to perform outreach in the community, deliver services to victims of human trafficking, award grants through a pilot program, and evaluate the benefits of the pilot program.  Absent information from the DLPS, however, the OLS cannot anticipate the resources the department would allocate or to what extent the DLPS may provide grants through a pilot program.