A275 ACS

An Act concerning certain court-imposed financial obligations, amending N.J.S.2C:35-15 and supplementing chapter 46 of Title 2C of the New Jersey Statutes.

Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

1. N.J.S.2C:35-15 is amended to read as follows:

2C:35-15. a. (1) In addition to any disposition authorized by this title, every person convicted of a violation of any offense defined in this chapter or chapter 36 of this title shall be assessed for each offense a penalty fixed at:

(a) $3,000 in the case of a crime of the first degree;

(b) $2,000 in the case of a crime of the second degree;

(d) $750 in the case of a crime of the fourth degree;

(e) $500 in the case of a disorderly persons or petty disorderly persons offense.

(2) A person being sentenced for more than one offense set forth in subsection a. of this section who is not placed in supervisory treatment pursuant to this section or ordered to [perform reformative service] earn transformative credit pursuant to subsection f. of this section may, in the discretion of the court, be assessed a single penalty applicable to the highest degree offense for which the person is convicted, if the court finds that the defendant has established the following:

(a) the imposition of multiple penalties would constitute a serious hardship that outweighs the need to deter the defendant from future criminal activity; and

(b) the imposition of a single penalty would foster the defendant's rehabilitation.

Every person placed in supervisory treatment pursuant to the provisions of N.J.S.2C:36A-1 or N.J.S.2C:43-12 for a violation of any offense defined in this chapter or chapter 36 of this title shall be assessed the penalty prescribed in this section and applicable to the degree of the offense charged, except that the court shall not impose more than one such penalty regardless of the number of offenses charged. If the person is charged with more than one offense, the court shall impose as a condition of supervisory treatment the penalty applicable to the highest degree offense for which the person is charged.

All penalties provided for in this section shall be in addition to and not in lieu of any fine authorized by law or required to be imposed pursuant to the provisions of N.J.S.2C:35-12.

b. All penalties provided for in this section shall be collected as provided for collection of fines and restitutions in section 3 of P.L.1979, c.396 (C.2C:46-4), and shall be forwarded to the Department of the Treasury as provided in subsection c. of this section.

c. All moneys collected pursuant to this section shall be forwarded to the Department of the Treasury to be deposited in a nonlapsing revolving fund to be known as the "Drug Enforcement and Demand Reduction Fund." Moneys in the fund shall be appropriated by the Legislature on an annual basis for the purposes of funding in the following order of priority: (1) the Alliance to Prevent Alcoholism and Drug Abuse and its administration by the Governor's Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse; (2) the "[Alcoholism] Alcohol and Drug Abuse Program for the Deaf, Hard of Hearing and Disabled" established pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1995, c.318 (C.26:2B-37); (3) the "Partnership for a Drug Free New Jersey," the State affiliate of the "Partnership for a Drug Free America"; and (4) other alcohol and drug abuse programs.

Moneys appropriated for the purpose of funding the "[Alcoholism] Alcohol and Drug Abuse Program for the Deaf, Hard of Hearing and Disabled" shall not be used to supplant moneys that are available to the Department of Health [and Senior Services] as of the effective date of P.L.1995, c.318 (C.26:2B-36 et al.), and thereafter available to the Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services in the Department of Human Services pursuant to Reorganization Plan No. 002-2004 as set forth in subsection b. of section 2 of P.L.1995, c.318 (C.26:2B-37) that would otherwise have been made available to provide alcoholism and drug abuse services for the deaf, hard of hearing and disabled, nor shall the moneys be used for the administrative costs of the program.

d. (Deleted by amendment, P.L.1991, c.329).

e. The court may suspend the collection of a penalty imposed pursuant to this section; provided the person is ordered by the court to participate in a drug or alcohol rehabilitation program approved by the court; and further provided that the person agrees to pay for all or some portion of the costs associated with the rehabilitation program. In this case, the collection of a penalty imposed pursuant to this section shall be suspended during the person's participation in the approved, court-ordered rehabilitation program. Upon successful completion of the program, as determined by the court upon the recommendation of the treatment provider, the person may apply to the court to: (1) reduce the penalty imposed pursuant to this section by any amount actually paid by the person for participating in the program; and (2) to determine the amount of credit earned against the amount owed on any court-imposed financial obligation as provided in section 2 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill). [The court shall not reduce the penalty pursuant to this subsection unless the person establishes to the satisfaction of the court that the person has successfully completed the rehabilitation program. If the person's participation is for any reason terminated before successful completion of the rehabilitation program, collection of the entire penalty imposed pursuant to this section shall be enforced.] Nothing in this section shall be deemed to affect or suspend any other criminal sanctions imposed pursuant to this chapter or chapter 36 of this title.

f. A person required to pay a penalty under this section may propose to the court and the prosecutor a plan to [perform reformative service] earn transformative credit in lieu of payment of [up to one-half of] the penalty amount imposed under this section. The [reformative service] transformative credit plan option shall not be available if the provisions of paragraph (2) of subsection a. of this section apply [or if the person is placed in supervisory treatment pursuant to the provisions of N.J.S.2C:36A-1 or N.J.S.2C:43-12. For purposes of this section, "reformative service" shall include training, education or work, in which regular attendance and participation is required, supervised, and recorded, and which would assist in the defendant's rehabilitation and reintegration]. [“Reformative service” shall include, but not be limited to, substance abuse treatment or services, other therapeutic treatment, educational or vocational services, employment training or services, family counseling, service to the community and volunteer work. For the purposes of this section, an application to participate in a court-administered alcohol and drug rehabilitation program shall have the same effect as the submission of a reformative service plan to the court] Transformative credit may be earned by participation in the following programs and services, including but not limited to: approved substance abuse treatment, mental health treatment, educational or vocational services, employment training or services, family counseling, and service to the community.

The court[, in its discretion, shall determine whether to accept the plan, after considering the position of the prosecutor, the plan's appropriateness and practicality, the defendant's ability to pay, and the effect of the proposed service on the defendant's rehabilitation and reintegration into society. The court] shall determine the amount of the transformative credit that would be applied against the penalty [upon successful completion of the reformative service, not to exceed one-half of the amount assessed, except that the court may, in the case of an extreme financial hardship, waive additional amounts of the penalty owed by a person who has completed a court administered alcohol and drug rehabilitation program if necessary to aid the person's rehabilitation and reintegration into society. The court shall not apply the credit against the penalty unless the person establishes to the satisfaction of the court that the person has successfully completed the reformative service. If the person's participation is for any reason terminated before his successful completion of the reformative service, collection of the entire penalty imposed pursuant to this section shall be enforced] based on consideration of the following factors:

(1) The nature and circumstances of the crime, offense, or adjudication of delinquency;

(2) Successful participation in treatment, education services, counseling, or community service;

(3) Convictions or adjudications of delinquency during any probationary term or diversion program period;

(4) Substantial compliance with the terms of the sentence; and

(5) Any other information the court deems relevant. Nothing in this subsection shall be deemed to affect or suspend any other criminal sanctions imposed pursuant to this chapter or chapter 36 of this title.

Any [reformative service] transformative credit plan ordered pursuant to this section shall be in addition to and not in lieu of any community service imposed by the court or otherwise required by law. Nothing in this section shall limit the court's authority to order a person to participate in any activity, program, or treatment in addition to those proposed in a [reformative service] transformative credit plan.

(cf: P.L.2019, c.363, s.4)

2. (New section) a. A person required to pay any form of court-imposed financial obligation resulting from a conviction, placement in a diversion program, or adjudication of delinquency for a violation of any offense defined under Title 2C of the New Jersey Statutes or other applicable law and ordered by the court to a term of probation or a diversionary program shall be eligible to earn transformative credit against the amount owed on the court-imposed financial obligation, other than restitution, amounts due to the Victims of Crime Compensation Office, or child support or other support or maintenance ordered by a court. “Transformative credit” may be earned by participation in the following programs and services, including but not limited to: approved substance abuse treatment, mental health treatment, educational or vocational services, employment training or services, family counseling, and service to the community.

b. The court shall determine the amount of the transformativecredit applied against the court-imposed financial obligation based on consideration of the following factors:

(1) The nature and circumstances of the crime, offense, or adjudication of delinquency;

(2) Successful participation in treatment, education services, counseling, or community service;

(3) Convictions or adjudications of delinquency during the probationary term or diversion program period;

(4) Substantial compliance with the terms of the sentence; and

(5) Any other information the court deems relevant.

3. This act shall take effect on the first day of the fourth month following enactment, and apply to any person convicted of a crime or offense, placed in a diversion program, or adjudicated delinquent on or after the effective date.