SENATE LAW AND PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

SENATE, No. 1806

with committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED: MAY 15, 1997

      The Senate Law and Public Safety Committee reports favorably and with committee amendments Senate Bill No. 1806.

      As amended and released by the committee, this bill would require the Director of the Division of Motor Vehicles, upon application, to permit a person who is a victim of stalking, sexual assault or domestic violence or who the director otherwise determines to have good cause, to use a post office box, an address other than the person's address or other contact point as a mailing address on a license or registration. Under current law, a post office box may appear on a driver's license or registration only as part of a mailing address that also includes the street address of the licensee's residence or business. It is the committee's understanding that the purpose of the bill is to protect victims of these offenses from further injury or harassment by an assailant.

      The committee amended the bill to provide that in addition to using a post office box, a person demonstrating good cause may use an address other than the person's address or other contact point on a license or registration. As introduced, the bill permitted a person who was a victim of one of the enumerated offenses to use as an address a post office box in a county other than the county where the person resides.

      As amended and released by the committee, this bill is identical to Assembly Bill No. 2634 (1R).