A2013 • 2026

Expands wrongful death act to allow recovery for mental anguish, emotional pain and suffering, loss of society and loss of companionship.

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Haider, Shama A.
Last action: 2026-01-13
Official status: Introduced, Referred to Assembly Judiciary Committee
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Expands wrongful death act to allow recovery for mental anguish, emotional pain and suffering, loss of society and loss of companionship.

What This Bill Does

Expands wrongful death act to allow recovery for mental anguish, emotional pain and suffering, loss of society and loss of companionship.
Topic: Judiciary Fiscal note: This bill has been certified by OLS for a fiscal note.

Limits and Unknowns

This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

2026-01-13 New Jersey Legislature
Introduced, Referred to Assembly Judiciary Committee

Official Summary Text

Expands wrongful death act to allow recovery for mental anguish, emotional pain and suffering, loss of society and loss of companionship.
Topic:
Judiciary
Fiscal note:
This bill has been certified by OLS for a fiscal note.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

A2013

ASSEMBLY, No. 2013

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman SHAMA A. HAIDER

District 37 (Bergen)

SYNOPSIS

���� Expands wrongful death act to allow recovery for
mental anguish, emotional pain and suffering, loss of society and loss of
companionship.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

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

��

An Act

concerning death by wrongful act and amending
N.J.S.2A:31-5.

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

���� 1.��� N.J.S.2A:31-5 is amended
to read as follows:

���� 2A:31-5.���� Assessment of
damages by jury.

���� In every action brought under
the provisions of this chapter the jury may give such damages as they shall
deem fair and just with reference to the pecuniary injuries resulting from such
death, together with the hospital, medical and funeral expenses incurred for
the deceased, to the persons entitled to any intestate personal property of the
decedent in accordance with the provisions of N.J.S.2A:31-4.
Damages may
also be recovered hereunder for mental anguish, emotional pain and suffering,
loss of society and loss of companionship.

(cf: P.L.2007, c.261, s.2)

���� 2.��� This act shall take
effect immediately and shall apply to all causes of action arising on or after
the effective date of the act.

STATEMENT

���� Wrongful death statutes
establish a cause of action for the wrong done to an individual's beneficiaries
when that individual dies as the result of the wrongful conduct of another
person.

���� Under present law, in a
wrongful death action damages are recoverable for pecuniary loss.� This bill
would expand the type of damages for which one may bring suit to include mental
anguish, emotional pain and suffering, loss of society and loss of companionship.