LEGISLATIVE FISCAL ESTIMATE

[Second Reprint]

ASSEMBLY, No. 4801

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

218th LEGISLATURE

 

DATED: JUNE 21, 2019

 

 

SUMMARY

Synopsis:

Establishes New Jersey Violence Intervention Program to fund violence reduction initiatives.

Type of Impact:

Annual State expenditure increase; potential annual local government expenditure and revenue increases.

Agencies Affected:

Department of Law and Public Safety; local governments.

 

 

Office of Legislative Services Estimate

Fiscal Impact

Year 1 

Year 2 

Year 3 

 

State Expenditure Increase

Indeterminate

 

Potential Local Revenue Increase

Indeterminate

 

Potential Local Expenditure Increase

Indeterminate

 

 

 

 

·         The Office of Legislative Services (OLS) concludes that the establishment of the New Jersey Violence Intervention Program (NJVIP) may increase the annual expenditures of the Department of Law and Public Safety (LPS) by an indeterminate amount.  Expenditures will be comprised of administrative costs and grant awards to municipalities, counties, health agencies, law enforcement agencies, hospitals, and non-profit organizations.

 

·         The bill requires the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) to: establish, advertise, and administer grants made available for the NJVIP; conduct program evaluations; hold three Statewide public hearings; and provide an annual report to the Legislature on the program.  The magnitude of the expenditure increase will be dependent on the administrative costs of the program, whether new personnel are hired, and the size and number of grants awarded annually.

 

·         Municipal and county governments, including law enforcement agencies, may apply for a grant under the bill.  To the extent these entities are awarded grants, their revenues and expenditures will increase by an indeterminate amount.  The bill maintains that at least 50 percent of the grant funds awarded to municipalities and counties are to be distributed to non-profits or public agencies for violence reduction or prevention programs.

BILL DESCRIPTION

 

      This bill establishes the NJVIP and requires the OAG to establish, advertise, and administer grants through the NJVIP, conduct program evaluations to determine the effectiveness of the violence intervention programs, provide written reports to provide transparency regarding the effectiveness of the programs, and hold public forums to gather community input regarding the programs.

      The bill requires the OAG to award funds from the NJVIP on a competitive basis to municipalities, counties, health agencies, law enforcement agencies, hospitals, and non-profit organizations that serve communities with disproportionately high rates and numbers of homicides and other incidents involving the use of firearms.

      The bill permits the OAG to use up to 8 percent of the funds appropriated or made available for technical assistance and for the costs of implementing and administering the program, including, but not limited to, employment of dedicated grants management and programmatic personnel, annual program evaluation, and analysis of the effectiveness of violence reduction initiatives.  These evaluations are to be made available to the public.

      The bill requires that the OAG annually hold three public hearings: one hearing each in the northern, central, and southern regions of the State.  The public input is to be used to assess whether the grant-making metrics and process for issuing grants needs to be revised.

      The bill requires the OAG provide a report to the Legislature annually on the activities of the program, descriptions of the initiatives, and impact on communities served through the grants.

 

 

FISCAL ANALYSIS

 

EXECUTIVE BRANCH

 

      None received.

 

 

OFFICE OF LEGISLATIVE SERVICES

 

      The OLS concludes that the establishment of the NJVIP may increase the annual expenditures of the LPS by an indeterminate amount.  Expenditures will be comprised of administrative costs and grant awards to municipalities, counties, health agencies, law enforcement agencies, hospitals, and non-profit organizations.

      The bill requires the OAG to: establish, advertise, and administer grants; conduct program evaluations; hold three Statewide public hearings; and provide an annual report to the Legislature on the program.  The magnitude of the expenditure increase will be dependent on the administrative costs of the program, whether new personnel are hired, and the size and number of grants awarded annually.  The OLS notes that the bill allows that a portion of available program money may be used to hire additional staff.

      Under the bill, municipal and county governments, including law enforcement agencies, may apply for grants.  To the extent these entities are awarded grants, their revenues and expenditures will increase by an indeterminate amount.  Each municipal or county recipient is required to distribute at least 50 percent of the grant funds to one or more non-profits or to a public agency that includes violence reduction or prevention as a major component of its mission, thereby increasing annual local government expenditures.

 

 

Section:

Law and Public Safety

Analyst:

 Kristin Brunner Santos

 Senior Fiscal Analyst

Approved:

Frank W. Haines III

Legislative Budget and Finance Officer

 

 

This legislative fiscal estimate has been produced by the Office of Legislative Services due to the failure of the Executive Branch to respond to our request for a fiscal note.

 

This fiscal estimate has been prepared pursuant to P.L.1980, c.67 (C.52:13B-6 et seq.).