ASSEMBLY PUBLIC SAFETY AND PREPAREDNESS COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

ASSEMBLY, No. 1948

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  DECEMBER 16, 2024

      The Assembly Public Safety and Preparedness Committee reports favorably Assembly Bill No. 1948.

      As reported by the committee, this bill codifies the current policy of the Victims of Crime Compensation Office (VCCO) to issue an annual report summarizing compensation awards granted to eligible victims.

     Under the bill, the report is to summarize compensation awarded to victims during the previous fiscal year.  The number of applications for compensation, the number of applications granted and denied and the reasons for the dispositions, the amount of awards, demographics concerning awards, services for which awards were provided, funding received by the office, and any other information deemed relevant by the VCCO also is to be included in the report.

     The bill requires the report to be completed within six months following the last day of the previous fiscal year. 

      The report is to be issued to the Governor and the Legislature, as well as made available on the official website of the Department of Law and Public Safety.

      This bill was pre-filed for introduction in the 2024-2025 session pending technical review.  As reported, the bill includes the changes required by technical review, which has been performed.