Concerns provision of services to defendants on pretrial release.

A1818

ASSEMBLY, No. 1818

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Assemblyman ANTHONY S. VERRELLI

District 15 (Hunterdon and Mercer)

Assemblyman GABRIEL RODRIGUEZ

District 33 (Hudson)

SYNOPSIS

���� Concerns provision of services to defendants on
pretrial release.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative
Counsel.

��

An Act
concerning services for defendants on pretrial release
and supplementing P.L.2014, c.31.

����
Be It
Enacted
by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:

���� 1.��� a.� The governing body
of each county in this State may, by duly adopted ordinance or resolution,
appoint a county pretrial coordinator who shall be responsible for evaluating
the needs of, and navigating the appropriate treatment and services for, each eligible
defendant for whom:

���� (1) �a complaint-warrant has
been issued in the county for an initial charge involving an indictable offense
or a disorderly persons offense; and

���� (2)� pretrial release has been
ordered pursuant to sections 1 through 11 of P.L.2014, c.31 (C.2A:162-15 et
seq.).

���� The ordinance or resolution
adopted by the governing body may provide for the appointment of a person who
shall be responsible for both the duties provided in this section and the
duties required of a county reentry coordinator pursuant to section 11 of P.L.
2021, c.312 (C.30:8-16.19).

���� b.��� The county pretrial
release coordinator shall evaluate each defendant eligible pursuant to
subsection a. of this section.� The purpose of the evaluation shall be to:

���� (1)�� identify which social
services and rehabilitative programs would benefit the defendant including, but
not limited to, the Work First New Jersey Substance Abuse Initiative;

���� (2)�� determine whether the
defendant is eligible to apply for federal, State, and county public assistance
program benefits including, but not limited to, State and federal Supplemental
Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, Medicaid, and housing assistance program
benefits;

���� (3)�� determine whether the
defendant would benefit from substance use disorder treatment including, but
not limited to, medication-assisted treatment; and

���� (4)�� identify other
appropriate treatment, services, and programs which would benefit the
defendant.

���� c.���� The pretrial release
coordinator shall advise each eligible defendant that the services are offered
on a voluntary basis and that the defendant is not required to receive the
services offered.� The county pretrial release coordinator shall offer assistance
to the defendant in accessing any services deemed appropriate for the
defendant, based on the evaluation conducted pursuant to subsection b. of this
section, by:

���� (1)�� assisting the defendant
with scheduling and otherwise accessing appropriate treatment, services, and
programming during the defendant�s period of pretrial release;

���� (2)�� providing information
concerning, and assistance in completing, applications for appropriate State
and county public assistance program benefits which shall include, but not be
limited to, State and federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits,
Medicaid, and housing assistance program benefits.� The county pretrial release
coordinator shall make every effort to ensure that the defendant is actively
enrolled in appropriate programming as soon as practicable following the
defendant�s pretrial release;

���� (3)�� providing information
concerning available substance use disorder treatment and services including,
but not limited to, medication-assisted treatment. The county pretrial release
coordinator shall assist the defendant with scheduling and otherwise accessing
appropriate treatment and services during the defendant�s period of pretrial
release;

���� (4)�� providing information
concerning relevant social services and rehabilitative programs including, but
not limited to, the Work First New Jersey Substance Abuse Initiative.� The
county pretrial release coordinator shall assist the defendant with completing
applications for and otherwise accessing appropriate services and programming
during the defendant�s period of pretrial release;

���� (5)�� providing information
concerning services provided by the State's One-Stop Career Centers.� The
county pretrial release coordinator shall schedule appointments for the
defendant to meet with representatives from the career center and shall
register the defendant for participation in any mandatory programming during
the defendant�s period of pretrial release;

���� (6)�� providing information
concerning insurance eligibility and assistance in completing applications for
insurance coverage; the county pretrial release coordinator shall make every
effort to ensure that coverage for the defendant as soon as practicable following
the entry of the order for pretrial release;

���� (7)�� providing information
concerning any other treatment, services, and programming deemed appropriate
based on the evaluation required pursuant to this section; and

���� (8) if appropriate, providing
assistance to the defendant with obtaining a non-driver identification card.

���� d.��� The county pretrial
release coordinator shall consult and coordinate with the county board of
social services or welfare agency, as appropriate, when providing information
or assistance with respect to a benefit or service administered by the board or
welfare agency.

���� e. �The county pretrial
release coordinator may employ professional and clerical staff as necessary
within the limits of available appropriations.

���� 2.� a.� The county pretrial
release coordinator shall record data regarding: the number of eligible
defendants who are offered services pursuant to section 1 of
P.L.
��� , c.�� (C.������ )
(pending before the Legislature as this bill); the number of defendants who
accept the services offered; the types of services provided to each defendant
who accepts the services offered; the race, gender, ethnicity, and age of each
defendant; a record of any crimes committed by a defendant who received
services during the defendant�s period of pretrial release and the types of
crimes committed for a period of three years following the defendant�s order of
pretrial release.�

���� b.��� The data shall be
analyzed to determine whether the rates and nature of rearrests and convictions
during pretrial release differ according to whether a defendant received
services in accordance with section 1 of
P.L.
��� , c.�� (C.������ ) (pending before the
Legislature as this bill). The county pretrial release coordinator shall
prepare and transmit the findings in an annual report to the Governor and,
pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), to the Legislature on
or before March 1 of each year.

���� 3.� a.� The county pretrial
release coordinator shall meet annually with community stakeholders who may
offer guidance for evaluating the needs of and providing services to defendants
who have been released pretrial including, but not limited to:

���� (1)� the Commissioner of Human
Services, or a designee;

���� (2)� the Assignment Judge of
the vicinage, or the Presiding Judge of the Criminal Division of the vicinage,
or a designee;

���� (3)�� the superintendent,
director, or other chief administrative officer of the County Board of Social
Services or welfare agency, as appropriate;

���� (4)� the county human services
director, or a designee;

���� (5)� the county mental health
administrator, or a designee;

���� (6)� the president of a county
community college, or a designee;

���� (7)� reentry services
providers in the county;

���� (8)� substance use disorder
treatment providers in the county; and

���� (9)� a person who previously
has received substance use disorder services in the county.

���� b.��� Based on the guidance
received during the meetings conducted pursuant to subsection a. of this
section, the county pretrial release coordinator shall:

���� (1)� establish best practices
for providing services to defendants while on pretrial release;

���� (2)� identify services
available in the county that may be needed by defendant�s during pretrial
release including, but not limited to, housing, food, medical care, clothing,
substance use disorder treatment; mental health services, employment assistance,
and education assistance; and

���� (3)� make appropriate
recommendations for the provision of services to a defendant during pretrial
release, to be included in the report issued pursuant to subsection b. of
section 2 of
P.L.
��� ,
c.�� (C.������ ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).

���� 4.� There shall be annually
appropriated through the annual appropriations act such amounts as shall be
deemed necessary to implement the provisions of sections 1 through 3 of of
P.L.
��� , c.�� (C.������ )
(pending before the Legislature as this bill) concerning the county pretrial
release coordinator.

���� 5.� This act shall take effect
on the first day of the second month next following the date of enactment.� The
governing body of any county of this State may take such anticipatory action as
may be necessary for the timely implementation of this act.

STATEMENT

���� This bill concerns the
provision of services to defendants on pretrial release.

���� This bill authorizes
counties to appoint a county pretrial
release coordinator to evaluate the needs of defendants in the county
for
whom a complaint-warrant has been issued for an initial charge involving an
indictable offense or a disorderly persons offense, and pretrial release has
been ordered.

���� If the county appoints t
he pretrial release coordinator, the
individual
is required to advise each eligible defendant that the
services are offered on a voluntary basis and that the defendant is not
required to receive the services offered. The pretrial release coordinator is
responsible for offering the following
assistance to the defendants in accessing services deemed
necessary pursuant to the evaluation:

�

scheduling and otherwise accessing appropriate treatment,
services, and programming during the defendant�s period of pretrial release;

�

providing information concerning, and assistance in completing,
applications for appropriate State and county public assistance program
benefits;�

�

providing information concerning available substance use disorder
treatment and services including, but not limited to, medication-assisted
treatment;

�

providing information concerning relevant social services and
rehabilitative programs;

�

providing information concerning services provided by the State's
One-Stop Career Centers;

�

providing information concerning insurance eligibility;

�

providing information concerning any other treatment, services,
and programming deemed appropriate based on the evaluation required pursuant to
the bill; and

�

if appropriate, providing assistance with obtaining a non-driver
identification card.

���� In addition, the county
pretrial release coordinator is required to consult and coordinate with the
county board of social services or welfare agency, as appropriate, when
providing information or assistance with respect to a benefit or service
administered by the board or welfare agency.

���� The coordinator is required to collect and analyze data
related to the services provided; develop peer counseling programs; meet with
community stakeholders to establish best practices in providing services to
defendants on pretrial release; identify available county services; and make
recommendations
for the provision of services to defendants during
pretrial release.

���� If the county appoints a pretrial
release coordinator, t
he bill
indicates that the amounts deemed necessary to support the county pretrial
release coordinators are to be annually appropriated.

���� This bill would implement recommendation number 15 of
the report of the reconvened Joint Committee on Criminal Justice issued in June
2023.