ASSEMBLY, No. 1187

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

221st LEGISLATURE

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2024 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman  CAROL A. MURPHY

District 7 (Burlington)

Assemblywoman  VICTORIA A. FLYNN

District 13 (Monmouth)

Co-Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman Pintor Marin, Assemblyman Stanley, Assemblywoman Speight, Assemblyman Tully, Assemblywoman Swain and Assemblyman Spearman

SYNOPSIS

     Specifies additional services for victims of sex trafficking and domestic violence; makes $1,000,000 appropriation.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

     Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.

An Act concerning services for victims of sex trafficking and domestic violence, supplementing Title 2C of the New Jersey Statutes, and making an appropriation.

Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

     1.    The Attorney General, in consultation with the Department of Children and Families, Commission on Human Trafficking, and Advisory Council on Domestic Violence, shall establish a program to ensure that victims of sex trafficking and domestic violence are provided with a safe haven at fire stations throughout the State.  Victims shall be referred by firefighters to appropriate emergency shelters, legal assistance, victim advocacy services, and community resources.  The safe haven program shall include, but not be limited to, the following:

     a.     specific training and educational requirements for firefighters concerning emergency housing, victim advocacy, the role of law enforcement in assisting victims, legal assistance, and community resources that are available to victims of sex trafficking and domestic violence;

     b.    victim evaluation criteria and requirements for firefighters who make referrals and assist in the coordination of services for victims pursuant to subsection a. of this section;

     c.     anti-discrimination requirements that ensure victims of sex trafficking and domestic violence obtain the benefits and services required by this section without regard to their citizenship status; and

     d.    specific training requirements for firefighters who assist victims of human trafficking and abuse pursuant to this section to enable them to serve as referral sources for, and facilitate access of victims to, appropriate resources and services within New Jersey.

     2.    There is appropriated $1,000,000 from the General Fund to the Human Trafficking Survivor’s Assistance Fund, established by Section 2 of P.L.2013, c.51 (C.52:17B-238), to be used exclusively to establish and implement the requirements set forth in section 1 of this act.

     3.    The Attorney General shall adopt rules and regulations, pursuant to the “Administrative Procedure Act,” P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), necessary to implement the provisions of this act.

     4.    This act shall take effect on the first day of the fourth month next following enactment, but the Attorney General may take such anticipatory administrative action in advance as shall be necessary for implementation of the act.

STATEMENT

      This bill would establish a safe haven program in fire stations throughout the State for the purpose of ensuring that victims of sex trafficking and domestic violence receive firefighter referrals for appropriate services, such as emergency shelters, legal assistance, victim advocacy, and community resources.

      Specifically, the bill requires the Attorney General, in consultation with the Department of Children and Families, Commission on Human Trafficking, and Advisory Council on Domestic Violence, to establish the safe haven program, which would include, but not be limited to, the following:

      - specific training and educational requirements for firefighters concerning emergency housing, victim advocacy, the role of law enforcement in assisting victims, legal assistance, and community resources that are available to victims;

     -  victim evaluation criteria and requirements for firefighters who make referrals and assist in the coordination of the aforementioned services for victims;

      - anti-discrimination requirements that ensure victims obtain the benefits and services required by the program without regard to their citizenship status; and

      - specific training requirements for firefighters who assist victims, which would enable the firefighters to serve as referral sources for, and facilitate access of victims to, appropriate resources and services.

      The bill would appropriate $1,000,000 from the General Fund to the “Human Trafficking Survivor’s Assistance Fund” created by section 2 of P.L.2013, c.51 (C.52:17B-238) in order to establish and implement the safe haven program as set forth in the bill.