ASSEMBLY WOMEN AND CHILDREN COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

ASSEMBLY, No. 4890

with committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  FEBRUARY 23, 2021

      The Assembly Women and Children Committee reports favorably and with committee amendments Assembly Bill No. 4890.

      As amended by the committee, this bill requires the Division of Criminal Justice (DCJ) in the Department of Law and Public Safety to develop or approve a triennial in-service training course and curriculum specifically for county prosecutors and assistant county prosecutors who are assigned sexual assault cases on handling, investigating, and responding to reports of sexual assault.  The training course and curriculum required by the bill is to include instruction on the value of restorative justice in sexual assault cases. 

      The DCJ is to make the curriculum available to all county prosecutor’s offices in the State.  The Attorney General is responsible for ensuring that all county prosecutors and assistant county prosecutors complete this training. 

      The amended bill requires the DCJ to review and make necessary revisions to the training course and curriculum every five years.  The DCJ is to consult with nationally recognized trainers with expertise in trauma informed care and the New Jersey Coalition Against Sexual Assault in this review (NJ CASA). 

      The training course and curriculum may be made available in an online format, but prosecutors are to complete the course and curriculum in person every six years.

       A county prosecutor or assistant county prosecutor appointed after the bill’s effective date is to complete the training course and curriculum within 60 days of appointment.  If a prosecutor appointed on the effective date of the bill has completed training in the handling of sexual assault cases, the DCJ is required to determine whether that training complies with the bill’s provisions.  If the training does not comply with these provisions, the prosecutor will be required to complete the training course and curriculum required by the bill within 60 days of the bill’s effective date.

      The bill also requires the DCJ to develop an open process for accepting bids by organizations wishing to assist in developing and providing the training required by the bill.

      As amended by the committee, Assembly Bill No. 4890 is identical to Senate Bill No. 3076 (1R) (Weinberg/Gill), which was reported by the Senate Law and Public Safety Committee on December 10, 2020.

COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS:

      The committee amended the bill to limit its applicability to assistant prosecutors who are assigned to sexual assault cases.

      The committee amendments require DCJ to review the course every six years rather than every two years.

      The committee amendments also clarify that DCJ is to review the course in “consultation,” rather than in “conjunction,” with nationally recognized expert trainers in trauma informed care and NJ CASA.

      As reported by the committee, Assembly Bill No. 4890 is identical to Senate Bill No. 3076 (1R) which was also reported by the committee on this date.