This bill establishes the High-Risk Domestic Violence Response Program within the Department of Law and Public Safety, aimed at creating rapid-response teams in each county to address incidents of domestic violence involving victims at high risk of serious bodily injury or death. The Attorney General, in collaboration with various stakeholders, will develop guidelines for the program, which will include procedures for law enforcement officers to conduct domestic violence lethality risk assessments for individuals they suspect may be victims of domestic violence. Each county's prosecutor's office will appoint a coordinator to oversee the implementation of the program, and municipalities will be reimbursed for costs incurred in its execution.

Additionally, the bill mandates the Attorney General to approve a standardized lethality risk assessment tool for law enforcement use, which will help determine the immediate needs of victims. If the assessment indicates a high risk, officers are required to inform the victim and, with their consent, facilitate immediate assistance. The bill also includes provisions for training law enforcement officers on conducting these assessments and notifying victims of their risk status. To support these initiatives, the bill appropriates $2 million from the General Fund for the program's implementation.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 2C:25-20