This bill amends N.J.S.2C:12-1 to exempt simple assault committed against health care workers at psychiatric screening centers from being automatically classified as aggravated assault under certain conditions. The proposed change allows simple assault to remain classified as such when the actor is a person undergoing psychiatric screening at these centers, addressing the current law that elevates simple assault to aggravated assault in most cases. The bill acknowledges that many psychiatric screenings occur in local facilities not explicitly listed in the statute, which could lead to inappropriate upgrades of charges in situations that may not warrant them.

The sponsors argue that the automatic elevation of assault charges for psychiatric patients in screening centers is counterproductive, as these individuals may be agitated due to long wait times. By clarifying the law to exclude psychiatric screening centers from the automatic upgrade provision, the bill aims to create a more suitable legal framework for incidents involving health care workers in these environments. It also maintains that assaults against direct care workers will still be classified as aggravated assaults, but only if the perpetrator is not a patient undergoing psychiatric screening at the time of the incident, thereby balancing the protection of health care workers with the unique circumstances of psychiatric patients.