FISCAL NOTE TO

SENATE, No. 771

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED: JULY 22, 1996

      Senate Bill No.771 of 1996 would permit municipal courts to impose an additional assessment not to exceed 20 percent of the total amount of fine, penalty or forfeiture imposed by the court for a violation of any provision of Title 39 of the revised statutes. The amounts assessed and collected by the court are to be forwarded to the chief financial officer of the municipality and deposited into a special fund to be used exclusively for the purpose of defraying the municipality's law enforcement costs. In the event that a municipality does not have a municipal police force, any amounts assessed and collected are to be forwarded to the chief financial officer of the county and deposited in a special account to be used the following tax year to reduce property taxes.

      The Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) states that it maintains no records on the exact amount of fines imposed in municipal court on defendants convicted of violations of Title 39. In addition, since the bill makes it optional for municipal courts to assess the additional amount, the AOC cannot predict the number of municipalities which may choose to assess this surcharge. Also, it is not possible to estimate what range, from 0 percent to 20 percent, each municipality would chooses to assess on these fines. Therefore, the amount of revenue to be collected by this bill cannot be determined.

      The Office of Legislative Services concurs.

This fiscal note has been prepared pursuant to P.L.1980, c.67.