ASSEMBLY APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE
STATEMENT TO
ASSEMBLY, No. 1282
with Assembly committee amendments
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
DATED: MARCH 4, 1996
The Assembly Appropriations Committee reports favorably Assembly Bill No. 1282, with committee amendments.
Assembly Bill No. 1282, as amended, provides a checkoff on the gross income tax return to permit taxpayers to make voluntary contributions to fund services to victims and witnesses of crimes. The Office of Victim-Witness Advocacy of the Division of Criminal Justice in the Department of Law and Public Safety uses balances in the Victim and Witness Advocacy fund to make grants to qualified public entities and not-for-profit organizations that provide services to victims of crimes. The services these organizations provide include shelter, food, clothing, information, counseling and support. The organizations that have received grants in previous years have included member organizations of the New Jersey Coalition for Battered Women and organizations providing rape care services and programs.
This bill was pre-filed for introduction in the 1996-1997 session pending technical review. As reported the bill including the changes required by technical review, which has been performed.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The bill would have no impact on the State General Fund or Property Tax Relief Fund. The Division of Taxation may incur some administrative expenses, however the bill provides for these costs to be deducted from checkoff receipts.
Checkoffs in tax returns filed in 1995 amounted to: $365,097 for the Endangered Wildlife Fund; $327,378 for the Children's Trust Fund; and $228,545 for the Vietnam Veterans' Memorial Fund. The Breast Cancer Research Fund and the Battleship New Jersey Memorial Fund will first appear on returns in 1997 for tax year 1996.
COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS:
The amendments change the effective date to tax years beginning on or after January 1, 1999, the first year in which one of the currently authorized checkoffs will expire.