[First Reprint]

ASSEMBLY, No. 1282

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 1996 SESSION

By Assemblywoman GILL, Assemblyman COHEN, Assemblywomen Buono,

Cruz-Perez, Friscia, Quigley, Turner and Weinberg

An Act concerning voluntary contributions through gross income tax returns to support direct services to crime victims, supplementing Title 54A of the New Jersey Statutes.

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

    1. Each taxpayer shall have the opportunity to indicate on the taxpayer's New Jersey gross income tax return that a portion of the taxpayer's tax refund or an enclosed contribution shall be deposited in the Victim and Witness Advocacy Fund established pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1979, c.396 (C.2C:43-3.1), for grants to qualified public entities and not-for-profit organizations that provide direct services to crime victims and witnesses and that are eligible to apply for grants under subsection c. of section 20 of P.L.1991, c.329 (C.52:4B-43.1), including but not limited to member programs of the New Jersey Coalition for Battered Women and rape care services and programs. The Director of the Division of Taxation in the Department of the Treasury shall provide each taxpayer with the opportunity to indicate the taxpayer's preference on the tax return to contribute to the fund in substantially the following manner:

    "Victim and Witness Advocacy Fund: I wish to contribute $5 □, $10 □, other amount $ □ to this fund."

    Any costs incurred by the Division of Taxation for collection or administration attributable to this act may be deducted from receipts collected pursuant to this act, as determined by the Director of the Division of Budget and Accounting.

    The State Treasurer shall deposit net contributions collected pursuant to this act into the Victim and Witness Advocacy Fund.

    2. This act shall take effect immediately and apply to taxable years commencing on or after January 1, ¹[1995] 1999¹.

Provides for a checkoff for taxpayers to make voluntary contributions on gross income tax returns for crime victims.