ASSEMBLY APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

ASSEMBLY, No. 4004

with committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  MARCH 23, 2023

The Assembly Appropriations Committee reports favorably and with committee amendments Assembly Bill No. 4004.

      As amended and reported by the committee, this bill establishes a safe haven program in fire stations throughout the State for the purpose of providing additional services for victims of sex trafficking and domestic violence.

      The bill requires the Attorney General, in consultation with the Department of Children and Families, Commission on Human Trafficking, and Advisory Council on Domestic Violence, to establish a program to ensure that victims of sex trafficking and domestic violence have a safe haven at fire stations where they will be referred by firefighters to emergency shelters, victim advocacy services, legal aid, and community resources.  The program requires the establishment of: specific training and educational requirements for firefighters concerning community resources that are available to victims of sex trafficking and domestic violence; victim intake evaluation criteria and requirements for firefighters who make referrals and assist in the coordination of services for these victims also would be required by the bill; anti-discrimination requirements that ensure victims of sex trafficking and domestic violence obtain these services without regard to their citizenship status; and training standards for firefighters to enable them to serve as referral sources for victims of human trafficking and abuse and to facilitate  their access to resources available to them within the State.

      This bill appropriates $1,000,000 from the General Fund to the Human Trafficking Survivor’s Assistance Fund to establish and implement the safe haven program established by the bill.

COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS:

      The committee amended the bill to:

      (1)  require the Attorney General, in consultation with the Department of Children and Families, Commission on Human Trafficking, and Advisory Council on Domestic Violence, also to establish training and educational requirements on the role of law enforcement in assisting victims, and training standards for firefighters to enable them to serve as referral sources for victims of human trafficking and abuse and to facilitate  their access to resources available to them within the State; and

      (2)  make technical changes to the bill.

FISCAL IMPACT

      The Office of Legislative Services finds that this bill will result in an expenditure increase of up $1 million in the first year the bill is implemented to establish a program that would train firefighters to assist victims of sex trafficking and domestic violence and provide them with safe havens at fire stations throughout the State.  If the full $1 million is not expended in the first year, the residual amount will be spent in subsequent fiscal years until the $1 million is exhausted.  The Attorney General, Department of Children and Families, Commission on Human Trafficking, and Advisory Council on Domestic Violence will also incur administrative costs in implementing the program.