ASSEMBLY JUDICIARY COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

SENATE, No. 1211  

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  DECEMBER 4, 2023

      The Assembly Judiciary Committee reports favorably Senate Bill No. 1211.

      This bill provides for civil actions against persons or entities who knowingly profit from the commission of human trafficking offenses, or maintaining the victims of such offenses, even though such parties are not “acting in concert” with the offender and thus not involved in any agreed-upon conspiracy with the offender.  In other words, these parties could be subject to a civil suit if they are aware of human trafficking offenses and allow such offenses to continue while receiving a pecuniary benefit from such, or by maintaining the trafficking victims.

      The bill expands the statute providing for human trafficking civil actions, N.J.S.A.2C:13-8.1, beyond its current scope, which addresses suits against any person who commits the human trafficking offense and any conspiring parties who are “acting in concert” with that person.

      As reported by the committee, Senate Bill No. 1211 is identical to Assembly Bill No. 1222 which was also reported by the committee on this date.