New Jersey S 3084: Provides certain resources to county prosecutors for enforcement of law regarding failure to pay wages; makes appropriation.

Bill Text

S3084 

SENATE, No. 3084 

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

� 

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Senator BENJIE E. WIMBERLY

District 35 (Bergen and Passaic)

SYNOPSIS

���� Requires safeguards for anonymity and confidentiality 
with respect to communications presented through phone lines, electronic 
communication systems, or websites dedicated to accepting anonymous tips for 
use by law enforcement in criminal investigations.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT 

���� Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative 
Counsel.

�� 

An Act concerning anonymous informants and tips related 
to criminal investigations, and supplementing Title 2C of the New Jersey 
Statutes.

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

���� 1.��� a.� Any governmental 
entity, including a law enforcement agency, and any private entity that 
operates, or contracts or coordinates with another party that operates a phone 
line, electronic communications system, or website dedicated to accepting 
anonymous tips for use by law enforcement in criminal investigations, that are 
communicated aurally or through other means by telephone, cellular telephone, 
wireless mobile device, computer, or other electronic means shall utilize an 
electronic, mechanical or other device, as defined in subsection d. of section 
2 of P.L.1968, c.409 (C.2A:156A-2), or a computer program, as defined in 
subsection e. of section 1 of P.L.1984, c.182 (C.2A:38A-1), to encrypt the 
communication so that the identity of the individual making the communication, 
the identifying information concerning the means of communication, and the 
location of the individual or means of communication, other than location 
within a municipality, are not included in the information made available to 
the investigating law enforcement agency. At the time of the communication and 
thereafter, the operator of the phone line, electronic communications system, 
or website, as well as the investigating law enforcement agency, shall not 
request the individual�s identity, identifying information concerning the 
individual�s means of communication, or location information that is more 
detailed than that provided with the communication as to municipality; however, 
nothing herein shall be deemed to prohibit the individual from volunteering any 
of this information to the operator or law enforcement agency.

���� b.��� (1)� Any communication 
described in subsection a. of this section, and any report or information on 
that communication, if made, maintained or kept on file by the operator of the 
phone line, electronic communications system, or website, or by the investigating 
law enforcement agency, shall not be deemed a public record under P.L.1963, 
c.73 (C.47:1A-1 et seq.).� Additionally, the communication, and any report or 
information on that communication shall not be subject to discovery or 
admissible in evidence in any criminal or civil action or proceeding undertaken 
by any governmental entity, private entity, or individual, except upon a 
subpoena issued by a grand jury or a court order for a matter concerning the 
crime or offense of false reports to law enforcement pursuant to N.J.S.2C:28-4, 
false public alarms pursuant to N.J.S.2C:33-3, or any other crime or offense 
committed by the individual making the communication.

���� (2)�� The provisions of this 
subsection shall not be deemed to prohibit an operator or law enforcement 
agency from disclosing the number of anonymous tips for use by law enforcement 
in criminal investigations that were received by a phone line, electronic communications 
system, or website dedicated to accepting these tips.

���� c.���� (1)� An individual is 
guilty of a crime of the fourth degree if that individual discloses to another, 
in violation of this section, any communication described in subsection a. of 
this section, or any report or information on that communication, or attempts 
to obtain the communication, or report or information on that communication 
with the intent of making a disclosure to another in violation of this 
section.� 

���� (2)�� In addition, if the 
disclosing individual is a governmental official, officer, or employee acting 
under color of law, then the governmental entity for whom the individual is an 
official, officer, or employee shall be liable, in a civil action, to the individual 
whose anonymity or other information was disclosed, for damages arising from 
the disclosure, or $25,000, whichever amount is greater, plus attorney�s fees 
and costs.� The fact that a prosecution for a violation of paragraph (1) of 
this subsection is not instituted or, whenever instituted, terminates without a 
conviction, shall not preclude a civil action pursuant to this paragraph.�� 

���� 2.��� This act shall take 
effect on the first day of the fourth month next following the date of 
enactment.

STATEMENT

���� This bill imposes safeguards 
to p