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A 4069

Extends provisions relating to the mortgage tax in the county of Yates

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Phil Palmesano

Establish a 24/7 anonymous school-safety tip hotline to report threats, with information shared to law enforcement and schools while preserving caller anonymity unless consented.

SUBSTITUTED BY S3497
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Bill Summary · A 4069

Summary of Bill A 4069 (New Jersey)

Note on status and scope: The bill as introduced concerns a statewide anonymous reporting hotline for school safety threats. The title references mortgage tax provisions in Yates County (likely an error or mislabel), but the introduced text and related actions pertain to a school-safety hotline. The bill’s status shows it has been substituted by S3497, meaning the current or final form would be under that companion bill. The summary below reflects the introduced text and its key provisions.

Purpose and intent

  • Establish a 24-hour toll-free hotline, operated by the Division of State Police, to receive anonymous tips about potential threats to school safety and security.
  • Enable reporting by students, parents, school staff, and the public about unsafe, suspicious, potentially harmful, dangerous, or criminal activities in schools or threats to those activities.
  • Maintain reporter anonymity unless the individual voluntarily discloses and verifies consent to share their identity with law enforcement officers and school officials.
  • Facilitate prompt investigation and intervention by sharing information with local law enforcement and school leaders; ensure information is distributed to all public and nonpublic schools for dissemination to students and families.

Key provisions

  • 1a. Hotline features

    • A 24-hour toll-free hotline for anonymous tips via telephone or text messaging.
    • Reports may concern violence, assaults, suicide threats, bullying, or other school-related safety threats.
    • Anonymity protections to keep the reporter’s identity confidential unless consent is given to share with law enforcement and school officials.

  • 1b. Information sharing

    • The Division of State Police shall, as appropriate, share hotline information with applicable local law enforcement agencies and the superintendent of schools or chief school administrator of a nonpublic school to aid investigation and intervention.

  • 1c. Distribution of information

    • In consultation with the Department of Education, the Division shall ensure hotline information is distributed to all public and nonpublic schools for dissemination to students and families.
    1. Effective date
    • The act would take effect on the first day of the third month after enactment.

Who would be affected

  • State agencies: Division of State Police (Department of Law and Public Safety) and the Department of Education.
  • Local law enforcement agencies.
  • Public and nonpublic schools statewide, including superintendents and school administrators.
  • Students, parents, school staff, and the broader public who might utilize the hotline or benefit from safety information dissemination.

Procedural and timeline notes

  • Introduced in the Assembly on March 14, 2024.
  • Reflects a legislative pathway that includes committee referrals and subsequent actions; the record shows substitution by S3497 on June 16, 2025.
  • Related companion bills: S 3013 (companion), S 3497 (companion), and A 4915 (prior-session).

Potential impact and considerations

  • Positive safety impact: Provides a centralized, anonymous mechanism to report threats, enabling timely investigations and interventions.
  • Privacy protections: Maintains reporter anonymity unless explicit consent is given to share identity with authorities; implementation will require clear procedures to protect identities.
  • Resource implications: Requires operations, staffing, and coordination between state police, local law enforcement, and school systems; dissemination efforts depend on DOE collaboration.
  • Final form: Since A 4069 has been substituted by S3497, the final enacted language and any modifications in S3497 would determine the bill’s ultimate scope and requirements.

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

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