This bill establishes a domestic violence Internet registry that will be publicly accessible, developed and maintained by the Administrative Office of the Courts in collaboration with the Superintendent of State Police and the Attorney General. The registry will contain detailed information about individuals convicted of domestic violence-related crimes, including their names, aliases, offense details, physical descriptions, photographs, vehicle information, and last known addresses. Individuals listed in the registry can petition for their names to be removed after specified periods—two years for a first offense, seven years for a second, and twenty years for a third or subsequent offense—provided they have not been convicted of further domestic violence-related crimes during those periods. However, those convicted of serious offenses such as homicide or sexual assault will not be eligible for removal.

Additionally, the bill mandates that courts order individuals found to have committed acts of domestic violence to undergo professional counseling for varying durations based on the number of offenses, as well as to perform a minimum of one year of community service. The civil penalties for domestic violence offenders are significantly increased, with fines set at $500 for a first offense, $1,000 for a second, and $5,000 for a third or subsequent offense, reflecting the severity of the crime and the impact on victims. The bill also includes a provision that protects individuals from liability for failing to investigate or disclose information from the registry. The legislation is set to take effect 90 days after its enactment.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 2C:25-29.1