ASSEMBLY JUDICIARY COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

ASSEMBLY, No. 1654

with committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED: MAY 20, 1996

      The Assembly Judiciary Committee reports favorably and with committee amendments Assembly Bill No. 1654.

      Under the present provisions of New Jersey's criminal code, only psychiatrists are authorized to perform competency evaluations of defendants in criminal cases. This bill would permit licensed psychologists, as well as psychiatrists, to conduct such evaluations.

      The committee amendments delete sections 3 and 4 of the bill which would have permitted licensed psychologists to examine persons acquitted by reason of insanity and persons committed by reason of insanity. Currently only psychiatrists perform these examinations. This practice would remain unchanged.

      The amendments also make a change in section 1 of the bill to include licensed psychologists in the provision in subsection c. concerning excluding or limiting testimony.