SENATE BUDGET AND APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

SENATE, No. 134

with Senate committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED: JUNE 3, 1996

      The Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee reports favorably Senate Bill No. 134 with amendments.

      Senate Bill No. 134, as amended, permits counties to establish law enforcement crisis intervention services programs. The programs will provide post traumatic debriefing and counseling services for law enforcement officers and sheriffs' officers who have been involved in incidents which may produce personal or job-related depression, anxiety, stress or other psychological or emotional tensions, traumas, pressures, or disorders.

      To preserve the integrity of a program and to encourage officers to take advantage of the program's services, the bill requires that the program be organized as an independent agency of county government, rather than as a part of any county or municipal law enforcement agency or department. For the same reasons, the bill provides that all the employees of the program must be county employees or contractors rather than employees of any law enforcement agency, and that the actual facility must not be located in or adjacent to any law enforcement facility, station or barracks.

      While the debriefing and counseling services would be available to any officer, the bill requires that any officer who is involved in a critical incident must participate in the program before returning to active duty. A critical incident is defined by the bill.

      The services are to be provided by properly licensed or certified psychologists and social workers. To provide advisory assistance in organizing a crisis intervention program, the bill directs the governing body to establish a county crisis intervention services advisory council.          Finally, the bill amends R.S. 39:5-40 and R.S.39:5-41 to impose a $1 surcharge on all motor vehicle fines, penalties or forfeitures collected in the State. Of this surcharge, $0.75 is to be forwarded to the county treasurer for deposit into a fund to support the county's program (if the county has a program), and $0.25 is to be forwarded to the State Treasurer to support the "Law Enforcement Officer Crisis Intervention Services" telephone hotline established by the Commissioner of Personnel. If a county does not have a program, the entire $1 will be forwarded to the State Treasurer.

COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS       

      The committee amended the bill at the request of the sponsor. The amendments:

      * Clarify that the program will be available to sheriffs' officers.

      * Require officers who are actively involved in a critical incident to participate in the program before returning to duty (if a county has establishes a program under the provisions of this bill), except under certain circumstances.

      * Revises the definition of "critical incident."

      * Revises the membership of the county crisis intervention services advisory council.

      * Provides that a $1 surcharge be imposed for all motor vehicle fines, penalties and forfeitures not just those assessed and collected in counties with a law enforcement crisis intervention services program, and that $0.25 of the surcharge be forwarded to the State Treasurer, or if a county does not have a program, the entire surcharge be forwarded to the State Treasurer.

FISCAL IMPACT

      The Office of Legislative Services estimates that the $1 surcharge on motor vehicle fines, penalties and forfeitures will generate approximately $3.5 million annually. Under the bill, $875,000 will be forwarded annually to the State Treasurer; this additional revenue is allocated to defray the costs of the "Law Enforcement Officer Crisis Intervention Services" telephone hotline established pursuant to Senate Bill No. 133 (1R) SCA of 1996. If all 21 counties establish a program under this bill, $2,625,000 annually will be available to the counties for their law enforcement crisis intervention services programs. If a county does not have a program, the surcharge collected in the county will go to the State Treasurer.

      It is not known at this time how much a typical county program would cost to establish and operate annually.