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S 1291

Expands "Daniel's Law" to prohibit disclosure of personal identifying information of victim support advocates and victim support care providers.

2026-2027 Regular Session Introduced by Linda Greenstein and 1 co-sponsor

Extends Daniel’s Law to protect victim support advocates and care providers by redacting their home contact info to reduce harassment and harm.

Reported from Senate Committee, 2nd Reading
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Bill Summary · S 1291

Summary of Bill S 1291 (Session 222, New Jersey)

  • Purpose and intent

    • Expands the existing Daniel’s Law to prohibit the disclosure of personal identifying information (PII) of additional safety-focused public servants, specifically adding victim support advocates and victim support care providers to the list of protected individuals.
    • Aims to reduce harassment, threats, and potential harm to individuals who provide direct support and services to crime victims, especially sexual assault victims.

  • Key provisions and changes

    • Extends protection to:
    • Victim support advocates (e.g., victim witness coordinators/advocates in the State Office of Victim-Witness Advocacy and in county prosecutor offices).
    • Victim support care providers (e.g., program coordinators and forensic Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners in the Statewide Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner program, and members of the Sexual Assault Response Team).
    • Definition updates:
    • Clarifies who qualifies as a “covered person” to include these new categories alongside existing protected roles (judicial officers, law enforcement officers, child protective investigators, prosecutors, and certain immediate family members in household).
    • Redaction and disclosures:
    • Requires redaction or nondisclosure of home addresses and unpublished home telephone numbers of covered persons upon request through the designated process.
    • Authorized persons may submit requests for redaction on behalf of a covered person, with specified eligibility (e.g., designees for federal judges, estates, guardians, etc.).
    • Enforcement and penalties:
    • Violations of the nondisclosure provisions can be criminal (misdemeanor levels: fourth degree for reckless violations; third degree for purposeful violations).
    • Civil action framework allows assignees to recover damages, attorney’s fees, and other relief for violations.
    • Administrative framework:
    • Establishes an Office of Information Privacy within the Department of Community Affairs to manage requests, provide a secure portal, and handle reconsiderations and exceptions.
    • Allows the Director to set procedures, approve redaction requests, and issue guidance or regulations for implementation (with a temporary regulatory period of up to 18 months before formal adoption under the Administrative Procedure Act).
    • Public records and access:
    • Aligns with the broader public records act, continuing to balance access with privacy protections.
    • Maintains exemptions for records where redaction is required or appropriate, while ensuring timely processing of requests (7 business days standard, with extensions as needed).

  • Who is affected

    • Protected individuals: current or former judicial officers, law enforcement officers, child protective investigators, prosecutors, victim support advocates, and victim support care providers, plus their immediate family members residing in the same household.
    • Authorized requestors: designated individuals or entities authorized to seek redaction on behalf of a covered person.
    • Public agencies and records custodians: required to implement redaction processes, maintain secure portals, and comply with timelines for redaction, amendments, and disclosures.

  • Procedural and timeline aspects

    • Immediate effect on enactment, with many provisions taking effect on the first day of the 13th month after enactment (some sections may have earlier operative timelines, notably the redaction process and portal establishment).
    • Agencies must redacts within specified timeframes once approved.
    • Civil remedy pathway provides damages and fees for violations; criminal penalties apply for violations of nondisclosure.

  • Overall impact

    • Strengthens victim-centered privacy protections by extending Daniel’s Law to additional frontline professionals in the victim-services ecosystem.
    • Seeks to enhance safety and reduce risk of harassment or harm to those who assist crime victims, particularly in sensitive sexual assault contexts.

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

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