Revises definition of health care professional in aggravated assault statute to match definition under "Health Care Heroes Violence Prevention Act."

2024-2025 Regular Session Introduced by Vin Gopal

Expands who counts as a health care worker under NJ assault law, so more staff and volunteers treated as victims of aggravated assault when assaulted on official duties.

Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Judiciary Committee

#healthprof

Purpose

S 4715 amends New Jersey’s assault statute (N.J.S.2C:12-1) to broaden and clarify who qualifies as a “health care professional” for purposes of treating an assault on them as aggravated assault. The change is intended to align the assault statute’s wording with the definition used in the “Health Care Heroes Violence Prevention Act,” thereby expanding the class of protected health-care-related workers who receive enhanced criminal protections.

Key provisions and changes

Amends N.J.S.2C:12-1(b)(5)(j) by replacing the narrower, bracketed definition of “health care worker” with a broader definition that includes:

Any health care professional;
Volunteers working for a health care professional or at a health care facility;
Supportive services staff members working for a health care professional or at a health care facility;
Employees of a health care professional or a health care facility,
Provided the person is performing official duties when assaulted.

Leaves intact existing subsection (k), which separately addresses direct care workers at State or county psychiatric hospitals, State developmental centers, and veterans’ memorial homes, with its current exception (the actor may not be a patient/resident classified as having a mental illness or developmental disability).

The amendment is stylistic and definitional: it does not create a new category of offense but expands who is covered by the aggravated-assault enhancement already found in the statute.

Who is affected

Expanded protections apply to a wider array of people working in or for health care settings: clinicians, aides, volunteers, supportive services staff (e.g., housekeeping, administrative support, transport), contractors and other employees.

Persons who commit assaults against those individuals while they are performing official duties may face prosecution for aggravated assault rather than simple assault, which carries more serious criminal consequences.

Procedural / timeline information

Introduced: February 12, 2025

Initial referral: Budget and Revenue Committee (2/12/2025)

Amended and recommitted; printed as S4715A (3/05/2025)

Later referred to Senate Judiciary Committee (10/20/2025)

Sponsors listed: Patricia Fahy (primary) and Jeremy Cooney (cosponsor)

Related bills/precedents: A3457 (companion), A5914 (companion), S6997 and A7126 (prior-session)

Potential impacts

Likely to increase the number of assaults prosecuted as aggravated assault when victims are within the expanded definition, producing stronger criminal penalties and potentially acting as a deterrent.

May have modest fiscal implications for courts and corrections if prosecutions or sentences increase.

Aligns statutory language across related laws for clarity and consistency in enforcement.

Bill