SENATE, No. 3300

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

220th LEGISLATURE

 

INTRODUCED NOVEMBER 3, 2022

 


 

Sponsored by:

Senator  JEAN STANFIELD

District 8 (Atlantic, Burlington and Camden)

Senator  M. TERESA RUIZ

District 29 (Essex)

 

Co-Sponsored by:

Senators Gill, O'Scanlon and Pou

 

 

 

 

SYNOPSIS

     Requires Attorney General to perform outreach and provide services to victims of human trafficking under certain circumstances.

 

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

     As introduced.

  


An Act requiring the Attorney General to perform outreach and provide services to victims of human trafficking under certain circumstances and supplementing Title 52 of the Revised Statutes.

 

     Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

 

     1.    a.  The Attorney General shall exercise its authority as head of the Department of Law and Public Safety and chief law enforcement officer of the State to utilize the resources of the department 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, including, but not limited to, the use of a Statewide victim service provider or other public agencies or private service providers, component divisions of the department, family justice centers, or any other resources that may be made available for this purpose. 

     b.       The Attorney General shall be authorized to establish within the limits of funds made available for this purpose, 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, according to the most recent Uniform Crime Report prepared by the New Jersey Division of State Police and in municipalities that are located near major maritime transportation hubs 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, and upon completion, any pilot program shall 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.

 

     2.    This act shall take effect immediately

 

 

STATEMENT

 

     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, through such 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 located near major maritime transportation hubs.

     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.