The proposed bill establishes a four-year pilot program in Ocean County, named Lisa's Law, which focuses on implementing electronic monitoring for certain domestic violence offenders. This program will be overseen by the Attorney General and the State Parole Board, allowing courts to mandate electronic monitoring for defendants convicted of contempt of domestic violence orders, contingent upon the informed consent of the victims. The bill specifies criteria for courts to consider when deciding on electronic monitoring, such as the severity of harm to the victim and the defendant's history of violence. It also requires that electronic monitoring devices meet national standards and permits courts to impose costs on defendants for monitoring and victim notifications.

In addition, the bill creates the Domestic Violence Victim Notification Fund to collect fees and civil penalties related to the electronic monitoring program. Defendants may incur monitoring fees and civil penalties for violations, with provisions for fee waivers in cases of financial hardship. The legislation amends the Local Public Contracts Law to facilitate the negotiation and award of necessary services and equipment for the pilot program without public bidding. It allocates $2.5 million from the General Fund to support the initiative and mandates annual evaluations of the program by the Attorney General. The bill also includes liability protections for suppliers of electronic monitoring services, except in cases of manufacturing defects, ultimately aiming to enhance the safety of domestic violence victims through improved monitoring and notification systems.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 40A:11-5