STATE OF NEW JERSEY
219th LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2020 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Senator GERALD CARDINALE
District 39 (Bergen and Passaic)
Senator LORETTA WEINBERG
District 37 (Bergen)
SYNOPSIS
Creates offense of making false child abuse report; permits assessment of penalty.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Act concerning false reports of child abuse and supplementing chapter 6 of Title 9 of the New Jersey Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. A person who knowingly or willfully makes or causes to be made a report of child abuse or neglect pursuant to section 3 of P.L.1971, c.437 (C.9:6-8.10) knowing the report to be false is guilty of a crime of the third degree.
b. In addition to any other penalty or fine imposed by the court, a person convicted under the provisions of this act shall be assessed a civil penalty of up to $10,000 payable to the Treasurer of the State of New Jersey for use by the Department of Children and Families.
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill makes it a crime of the third degree to knowingly or willfully make a false report of child abuse. A crime of the third degree is ordinarily punishable by a term of imprisonment of three to five years, a fine of up to $15,000, or both.
Also, the bill permits the assessment of an additional civil penalty of up to $10,000, payable to the State Treasurer for use by the Department of Children and Families.