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A 4510

Establishes tuition awards for members of the reserve armed forces of the United States

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Karl Brabenec and 9 co-sponsors

One-time $500,000 General Fund boost to the Judiciary's Statewide Pretrial Services Program to strengthen staffing and monitoring of pretrial releases.

HELD FOR CONSIDERATION IN HIGHER EDUCATION
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Bill Summary · A 4510

Summary of Bill A 4510 (New Jersey)

Note on title vs. content: Although the bill’s title references “Establishes tuition awards for members of the reserve armed forces,” the introduced text and accompanying statement describe a supplemental appropriation to fund the Judiciary’s Statewide Pretrial Services Program. The summary below reflects the actual provisions contained in the introduced version.

Quick Overview

  • Bill Number: A 4510
  • Introduced: June 6, 2024
  • Status: Held for consideration in Higher Education (as of May 2025)
  • Primary Purpose: Provide a one-year supplemental appropriation to support the Judiciary’s Statewide Pretrial Services Program (in addition to existing FY2024 funding)

What the bill would do

  • Appropriation: Adds a General Fund appropriation of $500,000 to the Judiciary, specifically allocated to the Statewide Pretrial Services Program under the Direct State Services category for Criminal Courts (04-9725).
  • Source and Scope: This is a supplement to the annual appropriations act for FY2024 (P.L.2023, c.74). The targeted line items are:
    • Direct State Services — Criminal Courts: $500,000
    • Statewide Pretrial Services Program: $500,000
  • Effective Date: The act takes effect immediately upon enactment.

Context and rationale

  • The supplemental funding is intended to bolster staffing and resources for the Statewide Pretrial Services Program, which was established in 2017 under the Criminal Justice Reform Act.
  • The introduced bill’s Statement of Purpose notes:
    • A 2023 reconvened Joint Committee on Criminal Justice report recommended increasing funding to enable the Judiciary to expand Pretrial Services staffing and oversight of pretrial releases.
    • Testimony during a March 7, 2024 Senate Judiciary Committee hearing echoed concerns about insufficient resources for pretrial services, including staffing and equipment for electronic monitoring.
  • The bill’s fiscal backdrop references the FY 2025 Governor’s Budget, which proposes $24.2 million for Statewide Pretrial Services (unchanged from FY2024).

Who/what would be affected

  • Primary Beneficiary: The Judiciary, specifically the Statewide Pretrial Services Program, which oversees defendants on pretrial release.
  • Indirect Impacts: County prosecutors and the administration of pretrial release and electronic monitoring, given the emphasis on staffing and monitoring capacity.

Fiscal and timeline notes

  • Fiscal Implications: A one-time $500,000 appropriation for FY2024 to augment pretrial services staffing and operations.
  • Timeline:
    • Introduced June 6, 2024
    • Referred to Assembly Judiciary Committee (initial steps)
    • Referred to Higher Education (2025-02-04)
    • As of 2025-05-20, held for consideration in Higher Education

Legislative actions and sponsors

  • Sponsors:
    • Primary: Angelo J. Morinello
    • Cosponsors: John Lemondes, Michael Novakhov, Chris Tague, Joe DeStefano, Karl Brabenec, Brian D. Miller, Lester Chang, Mary Beth Walsh, Stephen Hawley
  • Related Bills: Companion S 3205; prior-session A bills including A 5607, A 3927, A 4369, A 5135, A 4608, A 4334, A 2334

Related context

  • The bill aligns with ongoing concerns about resource adequacy for pretrial services and with Governor’s Budget priorities for the program.
  • The title suggests a different policy area (tuition awards), but the actual introduced provisions pertain to funding for pretrial services.

If you’d like, I can provide a side-by-side comparison with the companion S 3205 or map how the $500,000 would be reflected in the Judiciary’s current line-item budget.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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