New Jersey A 3644: Requires anti-bullying policy of public schools to include provision requiring principal to make preliminary determination and meet with parents of students involved in alleged bullying incident for that determination; extends time for investigating incid

Bill Text

A3644 

ASSEMBLY, No. 3644 

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

� 

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Assemblyman DONALD A. GUARDIAN

District 2 (Atlantic)

Co-Sponsored by:

Assemblywomen Flynn and Dunn

SYNOPSIS

���� Establishes certain animal abuse offenses committed 
in manner manifesting extreme indifference to value of animal's life as crime 
of second degree; designated as "River's Law."

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT 

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

��

An Act concerning animal abuse and amending R.S.4:22-17.

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

���� 1.��� R.S.4:22-17 is amended 
to read as follows:

���� 4:22-17.����� a.� It shall be 
unlawful to:

���� (1)�� Overdrive, overload, 
drive when overloaded, overwork, abuse, or needlessly kill a living animal or 
creature;

���� (2)�� Cause or procure, by any 
direct or indirect means, including but not limited to through the use of 
another living animal or creature, any of the acts described in paragraph (1) 
of this subsection to be done; 

���� (3)�� Inflict unnecessary 
cruelty upon a living animal or creature, by any direct or indirect means, 
including but not limited to through the use of another living animal or 
creature; or leave the living animal or creature unattended in a vehicle under 
inhumane conditions adverse to the health or welfare of the living animal or 
creature; or 

���� (4)�� Fail, as the owner or as 
a person otherwise charged with the care of a living animal or creature, to 
provide the living animal or creature with necessary care. 

���� b.��� (1)� A person who 
violates subsection a. of this section shall be guilty of a disorderly persons 
offense.� Notwithstanding the provisions of N.J.S.2C:43-3 to the contrary, for 
every conviction of an offense pursuant to paragraph (1) or (2) of subsection a. 
of this section, the person shall be fined not less than $250 nor more than 
$1,000, or be imprisoned for a term of not more than six months, or both, in 
the discretion of the court; and for every conviction of an offense pursuant to 
paragraph (3) or (4) of subsection a. of this section, the person shall be 
fined not less than $500 nor more than $2,000, or be imprisoned for a term of 
not more than six months, or both, in the discretion of the court.� 

���� (2)�� If the person who 
violates subsection a. of this section has a prior conviction for an offense 
that would constitute a violation of subsection a. of this section, the person 
shall be guilty of a crime of the fourth degree.

���� (3)�� A person who violates 
subsection a. of this section shall also be subject to the provisions of 
subsections e. and f. and, if appropriate, subsection g., of this section.

���� (4)�� The action for the 
penalty prescribed in this subsection shall be brought in the municipal court 
of the municipality wherein the defendant resides or where the offense was 
committed, except that the municipality may elect to refer the offense to the 
county prosecutor to determine if the offense should be handled in the Superior 
Court or in municipal court.

���� c.���� It shall be unlawful to 
purposely, knowingly, or recklessly:

���� (1)�� Torment, torture, maim, 
hang, poison, unnecessarily or cruelly beat, cruelly abuse, or needlessly 
mutilate a living animal or creature; 

���� (2)�� Cause bodily injury to a 
living animal or creature by failing to provide the living animal or creature 
with necessary care, whether as the owner or as a person otherwise charged with 
the care of the living animal or creature; 

���� (3)�� Cause or procure an act 
described in paragraph (1) or (2) of this subsection to be done, by any direct 
or indirect means, including but not limited to through the use of another 
living animal or creature; or

���� (4)�� Use, or cause or procure 
the use of, an animal or creature in any kind of sexual manner or initiate any 
kind of sexual contact with the animal or creature, including, but not limited 
to, sodomizing the animal or creature.� As used in this paragraph, "sexual 
contact" means any contact between a person and an animal by penetration 
of the penis or a foreign object into the vagina or anus, contact between the 
mouth and genitalia, or by contact between the genitalia of one and the 
genitalia or anus of the other.� This term does not include any medical 
procedure performed by a licensed veterinarian practicing veterinary medicine 
or an accepted animal husbandry practice.

���� d.� (1)� A person who violates 
paragraph (1), (2), (3) or (4) of subsection c. of this section shall be guilty 
of a crime of the fourth degree, except that the person shall be guilty of a 
crime of the third degree if:

���� (a)�� the animal or creature 
dies as a result of the violation;

���� (b)�� the animal or creature 
suffers serious bodily injury as a result of the violation; or

���� (c)�� the person has a pr