LEGISLATIVE FISCAL ESTIMATE

[First Reprint]

SENATE, No. 2051

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

221st LEGISLATURE

 

DATED: JULY 30, 2025

 

 

SUMMARY

 

Synopsis:

Requires law enforcement officer to conduct risk assessment of and provide assistance to domestic violence victims.

Type of Impact:

Annual State and local government expenditure increases.

Agencies Affected:

Department of Law and Public Safety; Administrative Office of the Courts; State, County, and Municipal Law Enforcement Agencies.

 

 

Office of Legislative Services Estimate

Fiscal Impact

 

 

Annual State Expenditure Increases

Indeterminate

 

Annual Local Expenditure Increases

Indeterminate

 

 

 

 

·         The Office of Legislative Services (OLS) anticipates that this bill will lead to an indeterminate increase in annual expenditures to the Administrative Office of Courts to develop and implement training on domestic violence risk assessments, and the Department of Law and Public Safety to regularly evaluate the effectiveness of the assessment tools.

·         Law enforcement agencies’ facilitation of immediate access to services for victims of domestic violence may increase officer response times, which may result in increased labor or administrative costs to State and local law enforcement agencies.

 

BILL DESCRIPTION

 

      This bill requires law enforcement officers to conduct a risk assessment of and provide assistance to domestic violence victims.

      The bill requires a law enforcement officer to conduct the Ontario Domestic Assault Risk Assessment, or an alternative risk assessment, of any person who the officer has reasonable cause to believe is a victim of domestic violence.  Under the bill, a law enforcement officer is required to facilitate the provision of services pursuant to a determination of immediate need.

      The Division of Criminal Justice is required to evaluate the training related to the Ontario Domestic Assault Risk Assessment in addition to other domestic violence training already required by statute.  In the event an alternative assessment instrument is approved in the future by the Office of the Attorney General, within 60 days of the approval of an alternative assessment instrument, the division is required to develop and approve a training course and curriculum for the implementation of the alternative assessment instrument.

      The bill also requires the Office of the Attorney General to incorporate additional training on conducting the risk assessment into the current domestic violence training course and curriculum for law enforcement officers, as well as notifying and facilitating access to services to alleged victims who are deemed to be at an elevated risk of harm pursuant to an assessment.

      In addition to the training course and curriculum for domestic violence cases required under current law, the Administrative Office of the Courts is required to include training related to the approved risk assessment to judges and court personnel.

 

 

FISCAL ANALYSIS

 

EXECUTIVE BRANCH

 

      None received.

 

OFFICE OF LEGISLATIVE SERVICES

 

      The OLS anticipates that this bill will lead to an indeterminate increase in annual expenditures for the Administrative Office of Courts to develop and implement training on domestic violence risk assessments, and the Department of Law and Public Safety to regularly evaluate the effectiveness of the assessment tools.

      Although the Ontario Domestic Assault Risk Assessment is currently the risk assessment model the State requires to be utilized, if the Office of the Attorney General determines it is no longer the best measurement tool, law enforcement agencies Statewide may incur ongoing indeterminate costs to train officers in the use of any newly approved assessment instrument.  Moreover, conducting these risk assessments and facilitating immediate access to services for victims of domestic violence may prolong officer response times, which may result in increased labor or administrative costs to State and local law enforcement agencies.

      Although the OLS does not have access to the number of individuals that would require this assistance in a given year, the FY 2026 Governor’s Budget evaluation data indicate there were 54,362 domestic violence case filings in FY 2024 and 52,362 domestic violence case filings in FY 2023.

 

Section:

Law and Public Safety

Analyst:

Kristin Brunner Santos

Lead 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.).