ASSEMBLY JUDICIARY COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR

ASSEMBLY, No. 490

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED: JANUARY 23, 1997

      The Assembly Judiciary Committee reports favorably an Assembly Committee Substitute for Assembly Bill No. 490.

      This substitute amends N.J.S.2C:43-3, the general section authorizing maximum fines for the various grades of offenses set forth in the criminal code, to include a new section i. authorizing twice the amounts of fines as set forth in that section for any theft offenses (chapter 20 offenses) or fraud offenses (chapter 21 offenses) committed through the use of a computer, computer system or computer network or by means of any other electronic communication. The bill in its original form would have amended various sections of P.L.1984, c.184 concerning computer-related crimes to specifically authorize higher fines for using a computer for certain fraudulent or theft purposes which the bill, in its original form, established. This substitute makes more general reference to any theft or fraud offense committed through use of a computer. The substitute is broader in application as it also references theft or fraud offenses committed by any means of electronic communication.