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A1343
ASSEMBLY, No. 1343
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
222nd LEGISLATURE
�
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman CODY D. MILLER
District 4 (Atlantic, Camden and Gloucester)
Assemblyman DAN HUTCHISON
District 4 (Atlantic, Camden and Gloucester)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblyman Simonsen
SYNOPSIS
���� Creates disorderly persons offense for persons who
conceal or attempt to conceal their identity while committing another crime or
offense.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
���� Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative
Counsel.
��
An Act
concerning the concealment of identity and
supplementing Title 2C of the New Jersey Statutes.
����
Be It
Enacted
by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:
���� 1.��� a.� It shall be a
disorderly persons offense for a person to conceal or attempt to conceal the
person�s identity by wearing a mask or disguise with the purpose of instilling
fear, hindering prosecution, or avoiding apprehension while committing another
crime or offense. �For purposes of this subsection, a person who wears a mask
or disguise for medical, religious, or expressive purposes shall not be deemed
to have acted with the purpose to instill fear, hinder prosecution, or avoid
apprehension.
���� b.��� A person shall not be
charged with a disorderly persons offense, pursuant to subsection a. of this
section, unless the person:
���� (1) is charged with an
underlying crime or offense under Title 2C of the New Jersey Statutes; and
���� (2) was wearing a mask or
disguise at the time the person committed the underlying crime or offense.
���� c.���� Notwithstanding the
provisions of N.J.S.2C:1-8 or any other law, a conviction arising under
subsection a. of this section shall not merge with a conviction of any other
criminal offense, nor shall such other conviction merge with a conviction under
subsection a. of this section.
���� 2.��� This act shall take
effect immediately.
STATEMENT
���� This bill creates a disorderly
persons offense for persons who conceal or attempt to conceal their identity
while committing another crime or offense.�
���� Under the provisions of the
bill, it is a disorderly persons offense for a person to conceal or attempt to
conceal the person�s identity by wearing a mask or disguise with the purpose of
instilling fear, hindering prosecution, or avoiding apprehension while
committing another crime or offense.
���� The bill provides that a
person who wears a mask or disguise for medical, religious, or expressive
purposes is not to be deemed to have acted with the purpose to instill fear,
hinder prosecution, or avoid apprehension.
���� Under the bill, a person would
not be charged with a disorderly persons offense pursuant to the bill�s
provisions unless the person is charged with an underlying crime or offense
under Title 2C of the New Jersey Statutes and was wearing a mask or disguise at
the time the person committed the underlying crime or offense.
���� Finally, the bill also
prohibits the merger of this offense with any other criminal offense for the
purpose of reducing a defendant�s sentence.� It is a disorderly persons offense
to violate the provisions of the bill.� A disorderly persons offense is punishable
by up to six months imprisonment, a fine of up to $1,000, or both.