This bill amends New Jersey's identity theft laws to specifically prohibit unlawful impersonation related to elections, including the use of false depictions through technology such as deepfakes. It establishes that impersonation for the purpose of influencing the nomination, election, or defeat of candidates, or for aiding in the passage or defeat of public questions, constitutes a crime of the third degree. If such impersonation occurs within 90 days of an election, it escalates to a crime of the second degree. Additionally, the bill enhances penalties for disseminating false campaign communications, upgrading the offense from a disorderly persons offense to a crime of the third degree.

The bill also clarifies the definition of "benefit" to include actions that further a candidate's election or defeat, and it mandates that courts issue orders to correct public records affected by identity theft. The penalties for these crimes include significant prison time and fines, with a second-degree crime punishable by 5 to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $150,000, while a third-degree crime carries a penalty of 3 to 5 years and a fine of up to $15,000.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 19:34-68