SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

SENATE, No. 382

with committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  JUNE 21, 2021

     The Senate Judiciary Committee reports favorably and with committee amendments Senate Bill No. 382.

     This bill, as amended, concerns domestic violence training requirements and oversight of domestic crisis teams established or participated in by law enforcement agencies.  Domestic crisis teams may include social workers, clergy, or other persons trained in counseling, crisis intervention, or treating domestic violence victims, or elderly or disabled victims of neglect or abuse.  See P.L.1991, c.261, s.4 (C.2C:25-20).

     The bill would require that the current training on handling domestic violence matters by the Division of Criminal Justice for law enforcement agencies, and by the Judiciary for judges and judicial personnel, now include information on the impact of trauma on survivors, techniques when interviewing trauma survivors, and the impact of racial bias and discrimination on survivors and marginalized communities.  Additionally, for law enforcement agencies the training would include procedures to be followed by law enforcement officers participating in domestic crisis teams.  With respect to these new procedures to be developed, the bill would establish greater uniformity for future domestic crisis team responses by requiring that such teams be made available to victims whenever law enforcement responds to any reports of domestic violence and abuse and neglect of the elderly and disabled.  Currently, there are inconsistencies in how and when the services of domestic crisis teams are made available to victims.

     Lastly, the bill would strengthen oversight over domestic crisis teams by providing that law enforcement agency actions involving establishing or participating in a domestic crisis team be done under the supervision of the State’s Division of Criminal Justice.

     This bill embodies recommendation 9 of the Report of the Supreme Court Ad Hoc Committee on Domestic Violence issued June 2016.

      This bill was pre-filed for introduction in the 2020-2021 session pending technical review.  As reported, the bill includes the changes required by technical review, which has been performed.

      The committee amendments to the bill:

      - remove the requirement that all members of domestic crisis teams receive training provided by the Division of Criminal Justice on response procedures concerning situations involving domestic violence, or abuse and neglect of the elderly or disabled; the training is instead focused on law enforcement officers participating in domestic crisis teams;

      - include training for law enforcement agencies, judges, and judicial personnel on various aspects of domestic violence as described in the statement above; and

      -  make references to the Attorney General and Administrative Director of the Courts consistent as the individuals responsible for the training for law enforcement, judges, and judicial personnel.