LEGISLATIVE FISCAL ESTIMATE

ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR

ASSEMBLY, No. 3384

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

 

DATED: OCTOBER 23, 2026

 

 

SUMMARY

 

Synopsis:

Eliminates statute of limitations for human trafficking and criminal sexual contact prosecutions and eliminates statute of limitations for civil cases arising from human trafficking.

Type of Impact:

Annual State expenditure and revenue increases; annual local expenditure increase.

Agencies Affected:

The Judiciary, Department of Law and Public Safety, counties.

 

 

Office of Legislative Services Estimate

Fiscal Impact

Annual 

 

State Expenditure Increase

Indeterminate

 

State Revenue Increase

Indeterminate

 

Local Expenditure 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 elimination of the civil statute of limitations.  The OLS also anticipates collections from civil court filing fees to grow in tandem with the caseload.

 

·         The OLS notes that the elimination of criminal statute of limitations for human trafficking and certain criminal sexual contact crimes may result in increased prosecutions for the Department of Law and Public Safety and county prosecutors.  This may lead to an increase in caseload and administrative expenses.

 

 

BILL DESCRIPTION

 

      This bill eliminates the statute of limitations for criminal prosecutions of human trafficking and aggravated criminal sexual contact and eliminates the statute of limitations under which a victim of human trafficking may bring a civil suit against the perpetrator.

      Currently, a prosecution for human trafficking must be commenced, by way of an indictment, within five years after the offense is committed.  Also, a prosecution for criminal sexual contact, when the victim is under 18 years old, must be commenced, by way of an indictment, within five years of the victim turning 18 or within two years of the discovery of the offense, whichever is later.

      Additionally, under current law, a civil suit brought by a victim of human trafficking must also be filed within five years.  A civil suit may be brought against: (1) the offender; (2) all those acting in concert with that offender; (3) all those knowingly deriving a pecuniary benefit from the offense, whether or not these parties are acting in concert with the offender; and (4) all those knowingly maintaining any victim of the offense, whether or not these parties are acting in concert with the offender.

      Under the bill, a criminal prosecution for human trafficking or aggravated criminal sexual contact, regardless of the age of the victim, may be commenced at any time.  Also, under the bill, a civil suit for human trafficking may be filed at any time.

      Finally, the bill expands the scope of defendants in a civil suit for human trafficking to include all those who derive a direct or indirect pecuniary benefit from the offense, whether or not these parties are acting in concert with the offender, knowing or in reckless disregard that the pecuniary benefit they derived was from the human trafficking offense, and all those who maintain any victim of the offense, whether or not these parties are acting in concert with the offender, knowing or in reckless disregard that the person they maintained was the victim of the human trafficking offense.

 

 

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 elimination of the civil statute of limitations for lawsuits related to human trafficking.  The OLS also anticipates collections from civil court filing fees to grow in tandem with the caseload.

      The OLS notes that the elimination of criminal statute of limitations for human trafficking and certain criminal sexual contact crimes may result in increased prosecutions for the Department of Law and Public Safety and county prosecutors.  This may lead to an increase in caseload and administrative expenses.

      The OLS notes that increased prosecutions are highly likely, as the Attorney General listed combating human trafficking as one of her top five priorities in her April 8, 2026 testimony to the Assembly Budget Committee, and there has been established a dedicated Human Trafficking Unit in the Division of Criminal Justice.  Furthermore, the Attorney General issued a press release on July 20, 2026, which noted that 71 arrests related to human trafficking were made as part of anti-trafficking operations conducted before and during the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

 

Section:

Judiciary

Analyst:

William Lim

Associate Counsel

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.).