This bill establishes a new offense of impersonating a first responder, which includes assuming a false identity or making misleading statements about one's identity as a first responder with the intent to commit a crime. The offense is classified as a crime of the fourth degree if the underlying offense is a disorderly persons offense. For other offenses, the impersonation crime is graded one degree higher than the most serious underlying crime, with the exception that if the underlying crime is a first-degree crime, the impersonation offense is also classified as a first-degree crime.

The bill aims to address the growing concern of individuals impersonating first responders during emergencies, particularly in light of recent incidents in California where such impersonations occurred amid wildfire crises. The sponsors believe that exploiting a crisis situation to commit crimes necessitates stricter penalties to deter such behavior, especially given the ongoing drought warning status in New Jersey, which heightens the risk of wildfires and the need for first responder presence. The bill is set to take effect immediately upon passage.