ASSEMBLY LAW AND PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

ASSEMBLY, No. 2731

with committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED: MAY 5, 1997

      The Assembly Law and Public Safety Committee reports favorably and with committee amendments Assembly Bill No. 2731.

      Assembly Bill 2731, as amended by the Committee, supplements Title 30 of the Revised Statutes to impose a 10% surcharge on all commissary sales in State and county correctional facilities in order to generate additional revenues to compensate crime victims pursuant to the "Criminal Injuries Compensation Act of 1971," P.L.1971, c.317 (C.52:4B-1 et seq.) or any other law.

      Every defendant found guilty of a criminal offense is required by law to pay an assessment to the Victims of Crime Compensation Board (VCCB). The moneys paid into the VCCB's account are used to provide compensation to the victims of crime.

      Although every defendant is assessed a penalty payable to the VCCB, not all of those assessments are paid.

      The VCCB surcharge authorized under this bill will generate additional funds for the VCCB to distribute as compensation to crime victims. It is the committee's understanding that this surcharge will generate between $1.2 and $1.5 million annually for the VCCB. When coupled with federal matching funds, the VCCB should have approximately $2 million in new moneys available to compensate crime victims.