ASSEMBLY APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

ASSEMBLY, No. 4788

with committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  OCTOBER 26, 2020

      The Assembly Appropriations Committee reports favorably Assembly 4788 with committee amendments.

      As amended, this bill supplements P.L.2020, c.97 the Fiscal Year 2021 annual State appropriations act, to add a General Provision transferring unclaimed assets totaling $2.4 million from the Unclaimed Personal Property Trust Fund to the General Fund for appropriation to the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office.  The proposed General Provision requires the transferred funds to pay for law enforcement costs, including, but not limited to, the funding of a county-wide police body-worn camera and video storage program.

      The bill transfers assets seized by the County of Essex pursuant to the State’s civil forfeiture laws (N.J.S.2C:64-1 et seq.).  These assets were held by the Essex County Prosecutor for three years following their seizure and escheated to the State’s Unclaimed Personal Property Trust Fund, in accordance with standard operating procedures issued by the Attorney General regarding forfeiture program administration.

      The unclaimed assets authorized for transfer under the bill were seized by the County of Essex prior to January 1, 2017 and escheated to the Unclaimed Personal Property Trust Fund on or after July 1, 2020.

COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS:

      The committee amendments update the bill to reflect the enactment of P.L.2020, c.97, the Fiscal Year 2021 appropriations act.

FISCAL IMPACT:

      This bill is not certified as requiring a fiscal note.