This bill establishes a new crime of residential package theft, commonly referred to as porch piracy, which is defined as unlawfully taking or exercising control over a package delivered to a residential property. The crime is classified as a third-degree offense if the value of the stolen package is less than $75,000 or undetermined, and as a second-degree offense if the value is $75,000 or more. The bill also introduces stricter penalties, including the possibility of a fine up to $250,000 or five times the retail value of the stolen package, and mandates that individuals convicted of a second or subsequent offense serve a minimum of one-third to one-half of their sentence without the possibility of parole. Additionally, the bill allows for charges of residential package theft to be brought alongside other crimes such as home invasion or burglary.

To combat this issue, the bill creates the Porch Theft Task Force within the Department of Law and Public Safety, chaired by the Attorney General. This task force will coordinate efforts among various law enforcement agencies and cargo carriers to prevent and investigate residential package thefts, as well as centralize data collection to identify trends and patterns. Furthermore, the bill mandates the development of a public awareness campaign to educate residents on prevention measures and reporting procedures for package theft. It also appropriates necessary funds from the General Fund to support the implementation of these initiatives.