LEGISLATIVE FISCAL ESTIMATE
ASSEMBLY, No. 4530
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
221st LEGISLATURE
DATED: AUGUST 28, 2024
SUMMARY
Synopsis: Allows sentencing to extended term for repeat convictions of receipt
of stolen property.
Type of Impact: Annual State expenditure increase.
Agencies Affected: Department of Corrections; State Parole Board; the Judiciary;
Department of Law and Public Safety; Office of the Public Defender.
Office of Legislative Services Estimate
Fiscal Impact Annual
State Expenditure Increase Indeterminate
 The Office of Legislative Services (OLS) determines that the Department of Corrections would
incur indeterminate annual cost increases under the bill if individuals are sentenced to longer
prison terms than they otherwise would have been absent the bill’s provisions.
 The impact the bill may have on a defendant’s willingness to plead guilty, the increase or
decrease in the number of defendants offered a plea bargain or pleading to a lesser offense,
or the impact on the trial rate related to crimes of receiving stolen property cannot be
determined. Consequently, the impact of the bill on the workload of the Judiciary, the
Department of Law and Public Safety, the Office of the Public Defender, and the State
Parole Board is also indeterminate.
BILL DESCRIPTION
This bill provides that a person may be sentenced to an extended term of imprisonment for
repeat convictions of receiving stolen property.
Under the bill, a person is a persistent offender if the person has previously been convicted on
two or more prior and separate occasions of receiving stolen property, regardless of the dates of
the convictions. A persistent offender may be sentenced to an extended term, upon motion of the
prosecutor, if the prior conviction is for a crime committed on a separate occasion and the crime
for which the person is being sentenced was either: (1) within 10 years of the date of the
defendant’s last release from confinement for the commission of any crime; or (2) within 10 years
Office of Legislative Services Legislative Budget and Finance Office
State House Annex Phone (609) 847-3105
P.O. Box 068 Fax (609) 777-2442
Trenton, New Jersey 08625 www.njleg.state.nj.us
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of the date of the commission of the most recent violation of the receiving stolen property law for
which the defendant has a prior conviction.
FISCAL ANALYSIS
EXECUTIVE BRANCH
None received.
OFFICE OF LEGISLATIVE SERVICES
The OLS determines that the Department of Corrections would incur indeterminate annual cost
increases under the bill if individuals are sentenced to longer prison terms than they otherwise
would have been absent the provisions of the bill.
Pursuant to the current statute, a person is guilty of theft if the person knowingly receives or
brings into this State movable property, other than a motor vehicle, of another knowing that it has
been stolen, or believing that it is probably stolen. Depending on the circumstances, theft can be
a second, third, or fourth degree crime or a disorderly persons offense. A crime of the second
degree is punishable by five to 10 years imprisonment, a fine of up to $150,000, or both. A crime
of the third degree is punishable by three to five years imprisonment, a fine of up to $15,000, or
both. A crime of the fourth degree is punishable by up to 18 months imprisonment, a fine of up to
$10,000, or both. Finally, a disorderly persons offense is punishable by up to six months
imprisonment, a fine of up to $1,000, or both.
Individuals sentenced to longer prison terms pursuant to the bill would generate additional
costs to the Department of Corrections. In response to FY 2025 OLS Discussion Points, the
department indicated that the average cost of incarcerating a person in its custody is $74,254
annually. This equates to a daily cost of approximately $200. According to statistics made
available on the department’s website, as of January 1, 2024, there were a total of 472 incarcerated
persons in State correctional institutions who committed a property offense as the base offense.
Property offenses include the offense of receiving stolen property. The property offenses number
represented approximately four percent of the total incarcerated population in the 2022, 2023, and
2024 statistics. The OLS does not have information to determine how many of those incarcerated
for property offenses are repeat offenders.
The impact the bill may have on a defendant’s willingness to plead guilty, the increase or
decrease in the number of defendants offered a plea bargain or pleading to a lesser offense, or
the impact on the trial rate related to crimes of receiving stolen property cannot be determined.
Consequently, the impact of the bill on the workload of the Judiciary, the Department of Law
and Public Safety, the Office of the Public Defender, and the State Parole Board is also
indeterminate.
Section: Judiciary
Analyst: Michael Davila
Associate Counsel
Approved: Thomas Koenig
Legislative Budget and Finance Officer
This legislative fiscal estimate has been produced by the Office of Legislative Services due to the
failure of the Executive Branch to respond to our request for a fiscal note.
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This fiscal estimate has been prepared pursuant to P.L.1980, c.67 (C.52:13B-6 et seq.).