New Jersey A 3519: Increases personal needs allowance to $55 for low income persons residing in certain facilities.

Bill Text

A3519 

ASSEMBLY, No. 3519 

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

� 

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman YVONNE LOPEZ

District 19 (Middlesex)

Assemblywoman ELIANA PINTOR MARIN

District 29 (Essex and Hudson)

Co-Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman Speight

SYNOPSIS

���� Establishes mitigating factor for sentencing of 
defendants who are victims of domestic violence and provides for resentencing 
and trauma-informed reentry support services.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT 

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

��

An Act concerning sentencing in certain criminal cases, 
amending N.J.S.A.2C:44-1, and supplementing Title 2C of the New Jersey Statutes 
and chapter 1B of Title 30 of the Revised Statutes.

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

���� 1.��� N.J.S.2C:44-1 is amended 
to read as follows:

���� 2C:44-1. a. In determining the 
appropriate sentence to be imposed on a person who has been convicted of an 
offense, the court shall consider the following aggravating circumstances:

���� (1) The nature and 
circumstances of the offense, and the role of the actor in committing the 
offense, including whether or not it was committed in an especially heinous, 
cruel, or depraved manner;

���� (2) The gravity and 
seriousness of harm inflicted on the victim, including whether or not the 
defendant knew or reasonably should have known that the victim of the offense 
was particularly vulnerable or incapable of resistance due to advanced age, 
ill-health, or extreme youth, or was for any other reason substantially 
incapable of exercising normal physical or mental power of resistance;

���� (3) The risk that the 
defendant will commit another offense;

���� (4) A lesser sentence will 
depreciate the seriousness of the defendant's offense because it involved a 
breach of the public trust under chapters 27 and 30 of this title, or the 
defendant took advantage of a position of trust or confidence to commit the offense;

���� (5) There is a substantial 
likelihood that the defendant is involved in organized criminal activity; 

���� (6) The extent of the 
defendant's prior criminal record and the seriousness of the offenses of which 
the defendant has been convicted; 

���� (7) The defendant committed 
the offense pursuant to an agreement to either pay or be paid for the 
commission of the offense and the pecuniary incentive was beyond that inherent 
in the offense itself;

���� (8) The defendant committed 
the offense against a police or other law enforcement officer, correctional 
employee or firefighter, acting in the performance of the officer, employee, or 
firefighter duties while in uniform or exhibiting evidence of his authority; 
the defendant committed the offense because of the status of the victim as a 
public servant; the defendant committed the offense against a sports official, 
athletic coach or manager, acting in or immediately following the performance 
of the person's duties or because of the person's status as a sports official, 
coach or manager; or the defendant committed the offense against any health 
care professional, volunteer working for a health care professional or working 
at a health care facility, supportive services staff member working for a 
health care professional or working at a health care facility, or employee of a 
health care professional or health care facility, while the health care 
professional, volunteer, supportive services staff member, or employee is 
performing official duties.

���� For the purposes of this 
paragraph, "health care facility" and "health care 
professional" mean the same as those terms are defined in subsection b. of 
section 3 of P.L.2023, c.48 (C.2C:12-3.1);

���� (9) The need for deterring the 
defendant and others from violating the law;

���� (10) The offense involved 
fraudulent or deceptive practices committed against any department or division 
of State government; 

���� (11) The imposition of a fine, 
penalty, or order of restitution without also imposing a term of imprisonment 
would be perceived by the defendant or others merely as part of the cost of 
doing business, or as an acceptable contingent business or operating expense 
associated with the initial decision to resort to unlawful practices; 

���� (12) The defendant committed 
the offense against a person who the defendant knew or should have known was 60 
years of age or older, or disabled; 

���� (13) The defendant, while in 
the course of committing or attempting to commit the crime, including the 
immediate flight therefrom, used or was in possession of a stolen motor 
vehicle; 

���� (14) The offense involved an 
act of domestic violence, as that term is defined in subsection a. of section 3 
of P.L.1991, c.261 (C.2C:25-19), committed in the presence of a child under 16 
years of age; and

���� (15) The offense involved an 
act of domestic violence, as that term is de