This bill proposes significant changes to the penalties for assaulting law enforcement officers and other emergency personnel in New Jersey. It reclassifies aggravated assault against a law enforcement officer from a third-degree to a second-degree crime, which entails harsher penalties, including a potential sentence of five to ten years in prison and fines up to $150,000. The bill prohibits plea bargains to lesser offenses for these cases and ensures that convictions for assaulting a law enforcement officer do not merge with other criminal charges. Additionally, it modifies the application of the No Early Release Act (NERA) to exclude mandatory incarceration for second-degree assaults unless they result in bodily injury or serious bodily injury.

Moreover, the bill expands the definition of protected individuals to include paid and volunteer firefighters, emergency medical personnel, and school employees, thereby enhancing protections for those in critical public safety roles. It raises the penalty for assault with bodily fluids against these individuals to a second-degree crime if bodily injury occurs and mandates that offenders provide a blood or biological sample for testing for communicable diseases, with any positive results disclosed to the victim. Overall, the legislation aims to deter assaults on public safety personnel and strengthen public health safety measures.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 2C:12-13