PRIA Logo™
New JerseyS1385220th Legislature (2024-2025)Senate

Establishes four-year pilot program in Ocean County for electronic monitoring of certain domestic violence offenders; appropriates $2.5 million.*

Sponsored By: Carmen F. Amato Jr. (Republican), Carol A. Murphy (Democratic), Troy Singleton (Democratic)

Signed by Governor

Personalized for You

How does this bill affect your finances?

Personalize government policy and PRIA will tell you what this bill means for your household, plus every other piece of legislation we track. PRIA reads each provision against your financial profile to show you exactly what matters to your wallet.

Free to download

Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

6 provisions identified: 3 benefits, 3 costs, 0 mixed.

Monitoring and alerts for abuse victims

Effective January 20, 2026, New Jersey establishes a four-year monitoring and victim-alert pilot, initially in Ocean County. The Attorney General, working with the State Parole Board, can move it to a county judged more effective. Courts can order monitoring for people convicted of contempt for violating domestic violence restraining orders, with the victim’s informed consent. Prosecutors must explain refusal and termination rights, technology risks, movement limits, sanctions, response plans, and support services. Courts must consider harm, past conduct, risk, and other relevant factors; monitoring cannot extend beyond the pilot or probation. Tracking equipment must meet National Institute of Justice standards and later replacement standards. A victim can ask to leave through a prosecutor’s court application, but monitoring and alerts continue until a resentencing hearing and decision.

State funds monitoring and victim alerts

New Jersey provides $2.5 million for monitoring, victim alerts, and pilot administration through the Domestic Violence Victim Notification Fund. The Attorney General manages this dedicated fund, which also receives monitoring costs, fees, the $200 and $250 penalties, and other money. Fund balances carry forward between years, but unused money from the $2.5 million appropriation returns to the General Fund afterward. The Attorney General must issue four annual reports to the Governor and Legislature on results, costs, and whether to continue or expand the program statewide. Reports must review fee and penalty cost recovery, financial effects on defendants and victims, and program sustainability; the pilot ends with the fourth report.

Governments gain more flexible purchasing options

During the four-year pilot, local contracting units can buy necessary monitoring services and equipment without public advertising or bidding. The law also lists exceptions for certain non-proprietary hardware and software, airport management, Universal Service Fund-rate purchases, water and wastewater components, and landfill-methane electricity. Purchases covered by the government-purchase provisions must be with federal, state, or local governments or related agencies. After two unsuccessful or noncompetitive advertised bid rounds, a two-thirds governing-body vote can approve a negotiated contract. Officials must first seek the same or cheaper goods from state or nearby authorities, keep terms substantially unchanged, and document minor changes. When second-round bids are rejected as unreasonable, responsible bidders must receive notice and a chance to negotiate; the final price must beat the lowest rejected bid. Suspected noncompetitive bidding must be reported to the county prosecutor and Attorney General, and officials can pursue antitrust remedies. To use the State-contract price exception, officials must obtain at least three quotes, secure a price at least 10% lower, and approve it by two-thirds vote. Purchase records and price comparisons go to the Division of Local Government Services director, who notifies the Treasurer, makes records available, and can later limit this exception by rule. Combined collection and marketing contracts for recycled materials or waste-derived products require the director’s approval, with approval automatic after 30 days without a response. The same 30-day review applies to listed retail electricity, shared-energy authority, transmission, and dispatch purchases.

Injured people face supplier lawsuit limits

Suppliers of pilot monitoring products, systems, or services generally are not liable for damages from related injury or death. This protection does not cover claims alleging that a manufacturing defect in a product or system directly caused the harm.

New fees and domestic violence penalties

Monitored defendants owe a one-time $250 fee; courts can waive it for extreme financial hardship. Courts can also order payment of some or all monitoring and victim-alert costs, based on ability to pay. A final-hearing finding of domestic violence brings a $200 civil penalty. Courts can waive that penalty for extreme financial hardship and must consider the nature and degree of the victim’s injury. A domestic violence conviction, or conviction for contempt of a domestic violence order, brings a separate $250 civil penalty. That $250 penalty does not apply when the person was previously assessed the pilot’s monitoring fee. Both civil penalties apply from pilot implementation through the end of the fifth year afterward.

Monitoring device tampering becomes a crime

Anyone who tampers with, removes, or vandalizes a defendant’s pilot monitoring device commits a third-degree crime. The rule covers devices worn or used by defendants participating in the pilot.

Sponsors & Cosponsors

Sponsors

  • Carmen F. Amato Jr.

    Republican • Senate

  • Carol A. Murphy

    Democratic • House

  • Troy Singleton

    Democratic • Senate

Cosponsors

  • Owen Henry

    Republican • Senate

  • James W. Holzapfel

    Republican • Senate

  • Brian E. Rumpf

    Republican • House

Roll Call Votes

All Roll Calls

Yes: 154 • No: 0

House vote • 1/12/2026

3RDG FINAL PASSAGE

Yes: 75 • No: 0

Senate vote • 1/12/2026

CONCUR ASMB AMEND

Yes: 39 • No: 0

Senate vote • 6/28/2024

3RDG FINAL PASSAGE

Yes: 40 • No: 0

Actions Timeline

  1. Approved by Governor — P.L.2025, c.291.

    1/20/2026Governor

  2. Passed Senate, PBH — (39-0)

    1/12/2026Senate

  3. Received in Senate, 2RSC

    1/12/2026Senate

  4. Passed Assembly — (75-0-0)

    1/12/2026House

  5. Substituted for A3731 (1R)

    1/12/2026House

  6. Reported, 2nd Reading in Assembly

    1/8/2026House

  7. REP/ACA, Referred to Assembly Appropriations Committee

    12/15/2025House

  8. Received in Assembly, Referred to Assembly Judiciary Committee

    6/28/2024House

  9. Passed Senate — (40-0)

    6/28/2024Senate

  10. REP/SCA, 2nd Reading in Senate

    6/26/2024Senate

  11. Referred to Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee

    6/13/2024Senate

  12. REP/SCA, 2nd Reading in Senate

    6/13/2024Senate

  13. Introduced, 1st Reading in Senate, Referred to Senate Judiciary Committee

    1/9/2024Senate

Bill Text

  • Version PL2025

    6/12/2026

    HTMLPDF

  • Version AL2025

    6/5/2026

    HTMLPDF

  • 1/15/26; 3R

    1/15/2026

    HTMLPDF

  • Assembly Judiciary (12/15/25 3R)

    1/13/2026

    HTMLPDF

  • Assembly Appropriations Substitute (1/8/26 3R)

    1/9/2026

    HTMLPDF

  • Assembly Judiciary Substitute (12/15/25 2R)

    12/16/2025

    HTMLPDF

  • 7/2/24; 2R

    7/2/2024

    HTMLPDF

  • Senate Budget and Appropriations (6/26/24 2R)

    7/1/2024

    HTMLPDF

  • Senate Budget and Appropriations Substitute (6/26/24 1R)

    6/27/2024

    HTMLPDF

  • Senate Judiciary (6/13/24 1R)

    6/14/2024

    HTMLPDF

  • Senate Judiciary Substitute (6/13/24)

    6/14/2024

    HTMLPDF

  • As Introduced

    6/13/2024

    HTMLPDF

Related Bills

Back to State Legislation