New Jersey A 951: Requires uniform response procedures for all domestic crisis teams established or participated in by law enforcement agencies, and strengthens Statewide supervision over teams.

Bill Text

(Sponsorship Updated As Of: 11/13/2025)
ASSEMBLY, No. 951

STATE OF NEW JERSEY
221st LEGISLATURE

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2024 SESSION

Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman NANCY F. MUNOZ
District 21 (Middlesex, Morris, Somerset and Union)
Assemblyman LOUIS D. GREENWALD
District 6 (Burlington and Camden)
Assemblywoman MICHELE MATSIKOUDIS
District 21 (Middlesex, Morris, Somerset and Union)

Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblywomen Murphy and Dunn

SYNOPSIS
Requires uniform response procedures for all domestic crisis teams
established or participated in by law enforcement agencies, and strengthens
Statewide supervision over teams.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.

A951 N.MUNOZ, GREENWALD
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EXPLANATION – Matter enclosed in bold-faced brackets [thus] in the above bill is
not enacted and is intended to be omitted in the law.

Matter underlined thus is new matter.
AN ACT concerning the training and oversight of domestic crisis 1
teams established or participated in by law enforcement 2
agencies, and amending P.L.1991, c.261. 3
4
BE IT ENACTED by the Senate and General Assembly of the State 5
of New Jersey: 6
7
1. Section 4 of P.L.1991, c.261 (C.2C:25-20) is amended to 8
read as follows: 9
4. a. (1) The Division of Criminal Justice shall develop 10
and approve a training course and curriculum on the handling, 11
investigation and response procedures concerning reports of 12
domestic violence and abuse and neglect of the elderly and 13
disabled. This training course and curriculum shall include 14
procedures to be followed in activating the services of domestic 15
violence crisis teams established or participated in by law 16
enforcement agencies pursuant to paragraph (3) of subsection b. of 17
this section. 18
(2) The domestic violence crisis team shall be activated in 19
response to any incident related to domestic violence unless any of 20
the following circumstances apply, in which case activation of the 21
domestic violence crisis team is in the discretion of the law 22
enforcement agency: 23
(a) any dispute concerning child custody or parenting time that 24
does not result in an act of domestic violence; 25
(b) if the victim is intoxicated, under the influence of a 26
controlled dangerous substance, or otherwise incoherent; 27
(c) if both parties are arrested for an offense related to domestic 28
violence; 29
(d) if the victim exhibits behavior that is violent, combative, or 30
abusive and may put the responder at risk; 31
(e) if a party is a victim of sexual assault that requires the 32
activation of the Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner Program (SANE) 33
or Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) at an approved SANE or 34
SART location; or 35
(f) if the victim will not be returning to law enforcement 36
headquarters or another designated area. 37
The training course and curriculum shall be reviewed at least 38
every two years and modified by the Division of Criminal Justice 39
from time to time as need may require. The Division of Criminal 40
Justice shall distribute the curriculum to all local police agencies. 41
[(2)] (3) The Attorney General shall be responsible for 42
ensuring that all law enforcement officers attend initial training 43
within 90 days of appointment or transfer and annual in-service 44
training of at least four hours as described in this section. 45

A951 N.MUNOZ, GREENWALD
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b. (1) The Administrative Office of the Courts shall 1
develop and approve a training course and a curriculum on the 2
handling, investigation and response procedures concerning 3
allegations of domestic violence. This training course shall be 4
reviewed at least every two years and modified by the 5
Administrative Office of the Courts from time to time as need may 6
require. 7
(2) The Administrative Director of the Courts shall be 8
responsible for ensuring that all judges and judicial personnel attend 9
initial training within 90 days of appointment or transfer and annual 10
in-service training as described in this section. 11
(3) The Division of Criminal Justice and the Administrative 12
Office of the Courts shall provide that all training on the handling 13
of domestic violence matters shall include information concerning 14
the impact of domestic violence on society, the dynamics of 15
domestic violence, the statutory and case law concerning domestic 16
violence, the necessary elements of a protection order, policies and 17
procedures as promulgated or ordered by the Attorney General or 18
the Supreme Court, and the use of available community resources, 19
support services, available sanctions and treatment options. Law 20
enforcement agencies, under the supervision of the Division of 21
Criminal Justice, shall: [(1)] (a) establish domestic violence crisis 22
teams or participate in established domestic violence crisis teams, 23
which, in the discretion of the law enforcement agency, may be 24
made available to victims whenever law enforcement responds to 25
reports of dome