ASSEMBLY LAW AND PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

ASSEMBLY, No. 1817

with committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED: MAY 13, 1996

      The Assembly Law and Public Safety Committee reports favorably Assembly Bill No. 1817 with committee amendments.

      Assembly Bill 1817, as received by the committee, amended R.S.37:1-7 to require that marriage licenses include a statement informing applicants of their legal rights concerning domestic violence in the State and of the punishment and penalties which may be imposed in instances where criminal acts are committed by spouses or other family members.

      The committee, at the request of the sponsor, amended the bill to provide that the statement be included on the application for a marriage license rather than on the license itself. To accomplish this purpose, the bill, as reported by the committee, amends R.S.37:1-8 rather than R.S.37:1-7.

      The committee also amended the bill to appropriate $15,000 to the Department of Health to defray the costs of printing new marriage license applications which include the statement concerning an individual's legal rights concerning domestic violence.

      The statement added to the application by the bill is as follows:

      The laws of this State affirm your right to enter into a marriage and to live within that marriage free from any type of violence and abuse. The laws of this State are also intended to assure victims of domestic violence that they will receive the maximum protection from abuse the law can provide. The laws against domestic violence, sexual assault, harassment, stalking, as well as other provisions of the criminal laws of this State, are applicable to spouses and other family members and violations of these laws are punishable by either fine or imprisonment, or both.