New Jersey A 1643: Establishes Good Samaritan Law to provide immunity from civil liability for veterinarians or emergency responders who assist animals at accident scene or emergency.

Bill Text

A1643 

ASSEMBLY, No. 1643 

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

� 

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman MELINDA KANE

District 6 (Burlington and Camden)

SYNOPSIS

���� Requires employers to report certain allegations of 
sexual assault.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT 

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

�� 

An Act concerning sexual assaults occurring at places of 
employment, and supplementing Title 52 of the Revised Statutes.

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

���� 1.��� a.� Notwithstanding the 
provisions of any law or regulation to the contrary, in the event that an 
employer receives a report of an alleged sexual assault made by a consumer or 
employee against another consumer or employee, the employer shall, within 24 hours 
of receiving the report, notify the local law enforcement agency or the county 
prosecutor, in the jurisdiction in which the alleged sexual assault occurred, 
of the allegation.� In the case of an employer notifying a local law 
enforcement agency as required by this subsection, the local law enforcement 
agency shall notify the county prosecutor for purposes of providing services 
under section 2 of this act.

���� b.��� In addition to any other 
penalty provided by law, an employer which fails to notify the local law 
enforcement agency or the county prosecutor of an alleged sexual assault as 
required pursuant to subsection a. of this section shall be subjected to a 
civil penalty of $10,000. 

���� c.��� The civil penalty 
prescribed pursuant to subsection b. of this section shall be collected and 
enforced by summary proceedings pursuant to the provisions of the �Penalty 
Enforcement Law of 1999,� P.L.1999, c.274 (C.2A:58-10 et seq.). 

���� d.��� Nothing in this section 
shall be construed to preclude, or in any way restrict, an employer from 
responding to and investigating an allegation of sexual assault for the purpose 
of imposing disciplinary action on the alleged perpetrator of the assault.� Nothing 
in this section shall interfere with the discretion of a local law enforcement 
agency or a county prosecutor to allocate resources for investigations of 
crimes.

���� e.��� As used in this section:

���� �Consumer� means a natural 
person.

���� �Employer� means any person, 
corporation, partnership, individual proprietorship, joint venture, firm, 
company, or other similar legal entity who engages the services of an employee 
and who pays the employee�s wages, salary, or other compensation, and any 
person, agent, representative, or designee of the employer, exercising 
supervision of employees on an employer�s behalf, in this State.

���� 2.��� a.� In the event that a 
county prosecutor receives a report from an employer or local law enforcement 
agency concerning an alleged sexual assault pursuant to section 1 of this act, 
upon the request of the accuser the county prosecutor shall immediately appoint 
an advocate through the Sexual Assault Response Team established pursuant to 
section 6 of P.L.2001, c.81 (C.52:4B-54) for the duration of the employer�s 
investigation of the allegation of sexual assault.

���� b.��� The advocate shall 
notify the sexual assault victim of the existing available services, including 
but not limited to, medical treatment, counseling, legal options, forensic 
medical services, and mental health services for victims of sexual assault.

���� 3.��� This act shall take 
effect immediately.

STATEMENT

���� This bill requires employers 
to report certain allegations of sexual assault to a local law enforcement 
agency or county prosecutor.

���� Under the bill, an employer 
that receives a report of an alleged sexual assault made by a consumer or 
employee against another consumer or employee, must, within 24 hours of 
receiving the report, notify the local law enforcement agency or the county 
prosecutor, in the jurisdiction in which the alleged sexual assault occurred, 
of the allegation.� An employer that fails to notify the local law enforcement 
agency or the county prosecutor of an alleged sexual assault will be subject to 
a civil penalty of $10,000.

���� In the event that a country 
prosecutor receives notification of an allegation of sexual assault pursuant to 
the provisions of the bill, upon the request of the accuser the county 
prosecutor is required to immediately appoint an advocate through the Sexual 
Assault Response Team for the duration of the employer�s investigation of the 
allegation of sexual assault.� The advocate will notify the sexual assault 
victim of the existing available services, including, but not limited to, 
medical treatment, counseling, legal options, forensic medical services, and 
mental health services for victims of sexual assault.