LEGISLATIVE FISCAL ESTIMATE

[Second Reprint]

ASSEMBLY, No. 4966

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

221st LEGISLATURE

 

DATED: DECEMBER 30, 2025

 

 

SUMMARY

 

Synopsis:

Extends statute of limitations for civil cases arising from human trafficking.

Type of Impact:

Annual State expenditure and revenue increases.

Agencies Affected:

Judiciary.

 

 

Office of Legislative Services Estimate

Fiscal Impact

 

Annual 

 

 

State Expenditure Increase

 

Indeterminate

 

 

State Revenue Increase

 

Indeterminate

 

 

 

·         The Office of Legislative Services (OLS) finds that this bill would result in annual indeterminate State expenditure and revenue increases. The Judiciary will incur an indeterminate increase in annual operating expenditures, as additional resources will likely have to be allocated to a potentially increased civil caseload from the extension of the civil statute of limitations.  The OLS also anticipates collections from court filing fees to grow in tandem with the caseload.

 

 

BILL DESCRIPTION

 

      This bill extends the statute of limitations under which a victim of human trafficking may bring a civil suit against the perpetrator.  Under current law, a civil suit brought by a victim of human trafficking must be filed within five years.

      Under the bill, a civil suit may be filed by a victim of human trafficking within 10 years of the conduct, within 10 years of a victim turning 18 years old if the victim is a minor, or within two years of a plaintiff’s discovery of the injury, whichever is later.  Extending the civil statute of limitations for human trafficking to 10 years will bring State law into accord with similar provisions under federal law.

      Under the bill, the civil statute of limitations will not begin to run until a continuing course of conduct relating to the human trafficking of the plaintiff is terminated.  The statute of limitations may be tolled for any period during which the plaintiff is under a disability, which includes any intellectual disability, hospitalization for mental illness, or finding of mental incapacity.  The bill prohibits a defendant who coerced a plaintiff who is a victim of human trafficking to delay filing suit by means of intimidation, duress, threats, or fraud from asserting a defense that the statute of limitations has already run.

 

 

FISCAL ANALYSIS

 

EXECUTIVE BRANCH

 

      None received.

 

OFFICE OF LEGISLATIVE SERVICES

 

      The OLS notes that the Judiciary will incur an indeterminate increase in annual operating expenditures, as additional resources will likely have to be allocated to a potentially increased civil caseload from the extension of the civil statute of limitations for lawsuits related to human trafficking.  The OLS also anticipates collections from court filing fees to grow in tandem with the caseload.

 

Section:

Judiciary

Analyst:

Anuja Pande Joshi

Senior Fiscal Analyst

Approved:

Thomas Koenig

Legislative Budget and Finance Officer

 

This legislative fiscal estimate has been produced by the Office of Legislative Services due to the failure of the Executive Branch to respond to our request for a fiscal note.

 

This fiscal estimate has been prepared pursuant to P.L.1980, c.67 (C.52:13B-6 et seq.).