New Jersey S 343: Increases, from 18 percent to 30 percent, amount of rental payments defined as rent constituting property taxes for purposes of deduction from gross income for property tax payments.

Bill Text

S343 

SENATE, No. 343 

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

� 

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Senator DOUGLAS J. STEINHARDT

District 23 (Hunterdon, Somerset and Warren)

Senator MICHAEL L. TESTA, JR.

District 1 (Atlantic, Cape May and Cumberland)

Co-Sponsored by:

Senators Amato, Space and O'Scanlon

SYNOPSIS

���� Concerns justified use of force and deadly force.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT 

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

��

An Act concerning the justified use of force, supplementing 
chapter 3 of Title 2C of the New Jersey Statutes, and repealing various parts 
of the statutory law.

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

���� 1. Use or threatened use of 
force.

���� a. A person is justified in 
using or threatening to use force, except deadly force, against another when 
and to the extent that the person reasonably believes that such conduct is 
necessary to defend himself or herself or another against the other person�s 
imminent use of unlawful force. A person who uses or threatens to use force in 
accordance with this subsection does not have a duty to retreat before using or 
threatening to use such force.

���� b. A person is justified in 
using or threatening to use deadly force if the person reasonably believes that 
using or threatening to use deadly force is necessary to prevent imminent death 
or serious bodily injury to the person or another or to prevent the imminent 
commission of a crime set forth in section 2 of P.L.1995, c.126 (C.2C:43-7.1). 
A person who uses or threatens to use deadly force in accordance with this 
subsection does not have a duty to retreat and has the right to stand his or 
her ground if the person is not engaged in the commission of a crime and is in 
a place where the person has a right to be.

���� c. As used in this act, 
�serious bodily injury� means bodily injury which creates a substantial risk of 
death or which causes serious, permanent disfigurement, or protracted loss or 
impairment of the function of any bodily member or organ.

���� 2.��� N.J.S.2C:3-4 through 
N.J.S.2C:3-7 are repealed. 

���� 3.��� This act shall take 
effect on the 90th day following enactment.

STATEMENT

���� 

���� This bill revises the law 
concerning the justified use of force and deadly force. Under the bill, a 
person is justified in using or threatening to use force, except deadly force, 
against another when and to the extent that the person reasonably believes that 
such conduct is necessary to defend himself or herself or another against the 
other person�s imminent use of unlawful force. A person who uses or threatens 
to use such force does not have a duty to retreat before using or threatening 
to use such force.

���� The bill provides that a 
person is justified in using or threatening to use deadly force if the person 
reasonably believes that using or threatening to use deadly force is necessary 
to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm to the person or another or to 
prevent the imminent commission of a crime set forth in section 2 of P.L.1995, 
c.126 (C.2C:43-7.1). The referenced crimes are those enumerated in the �Three 
Strikes� law. They include murder; aggravated manslaughter; manslaughter; 
kidnapping; aggravated sexual assault; robbery; carjacking; aggravated assault; 
burglary; and unlawful possession of a weapon.� 

���� A person who uses or threatens 
to use deadly force under the bill does not have a duty to retreat and has the 
right to stand his or her ground if the person is not engaged in the commission 
of a crime and is in a place where the person has a right to be.

���� The bill repeals the current 
statutes concerning the use of force and deadly force, set out in N.J.S.2C:3-4 
through N.J.S.2C:3-7.