Bill
A 5426
Expands NJ's domestic violence campaign to include coercive-control indicators, broaden language access, and require annual reporting.
Status
- Introduced: February 27, 2025
- Assembly passage: 78–0–0 (March 24, 2025)
- Reported out of Assembly Judiciary Committee with amendments (March 10, 2025)
- Received in the Senate; referred to Senate Judiciary Committee (May 12, 2025)
- Current procedural note: Opinion referred to Judiciary.
- Sponsors (documented on reprint): Assemblywoman Andrea Katz; co-sponsors: Yvonne Lopez, Mitchelle Drulis; additional cosponsors: Swain and Tully. (Sponsorship updated 3/24/2025.)
Purpose
- To expand and clarify the content, accessibility, and reporting for New Jersey’s State domestic violence public awareness campaign administered by the Division on Women (Department of Children and Families). The bill specifically requires the campaign to address recognition of indicators of coercive control, broaden language access, and add an annual reporting requirement.
Key provisions
- Coercive control: Requires the campaign to include information on recognizing indicators of coercive control (e.g., isolation, deprivation of necessities, monitoring movements/communications/finances, threats based on immigration status, baseless reporting to authorities, threats to harm relatives or pets, and threats to interfere with custody), subject to the availability of funds.
- Language access: Expands materials available on the Division on Women website beyond English and Spanish to include other languages recommended by the Advisory Council on Domestic Violence.
- Funding acceptance: Authorizes the director to accept federal or private grants, services, or property for the campaign and specifies that acceptance of such outside funds will not diminish any State funds appropriated to the campaign.
- Reporting: Requires the Director of the Division on Women to report to the Governor and Legislature no later than 18 months after the original P.L.2005, c.204 effective date and annually thereafter on campaign activities and accomplishments.
- Implementation authority: Director to coordinate with other State agencies and use electronic/print media within available funds.
Who is affected
- Department of Children and Families — Division on Women (primary implementing agency).
- Advisory Council on Domestic Violence (role in language recommendations).
- Health and social service professionals, domestic violence victims and survivors, multilingual communities, and the general public who will receive enhanced outreach/educational content.
Fiscal impact
- Office of Legislative Services estimates a one‑time State expenditure increase of at least $55,000 (redesign/publication work; staffing assumption).
- Additional one‑time, indeterminate costs for translation and initial printing may occur depending on the number of additional languages recommended. OLS cited sample vendor rates of ~$0.15/word for translations into frequently requested languages and $39.50/hour for desktop publishing as reference. Annual reporting and campaign maintenance assumed to be absorbed within existing operating budgets.
Effective date
- The act would take effect immediately upon enactment.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
Sign in to ask a question.
