"Stephanie's Law"; Requires AOC to establish publicly-accessible domestic violence registry; requires law enforcement officer to search State's domestic violence registries when conducting arrest.

A2086

ASSEMBLY, No. 2086

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman LINDA S. CARTER

District 22 (Somerset and Union)

Assemblyman STERLEY S. STANLEY

District 18 (Middlesex)

Assemblywoman MARGIE DONLON, M.D.

District 11 (Monmouth)

Co-Sponsored by:

Assemblywomen Peterpaul, Haider and Reynolds-Jackson

SYNOPSIS

���� "Stephanie's Law"; Requires AOC to
establish publicly-accessible domestic violence registry; requires law
enforcement officer to search State's domestic violence registries when
conducting arrest.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

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

��

An Act

concerning domestic violence 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. The Administrative
Office of the Courts, in conjunction with the Attorney General, shall develop
and maintain a publicly-accessible domestic violence Internet registry of any
person in this State who:

���� (1)�� has been convicted of a
crime or offense involving domestic violence as defined in subsection a. of
section 3 of P.L.1991, c.261 (C.2C:25-19); or

���� (2)�� has had a final restraining
order issued against them pursuant to the provisions of the "Prevention of
Domestic Violence Act of 1991," P.L.1991, c.261 (C.2C:25-17 et al.); or

���� (3)�� has committed contempt
of a temporary or final restraining order entered pursuant to the provisions of
the "Prevention of Domestic Violence Act of 1991," P.L.1991, c.261
(C.2C:25-17 et al.).

���� b.��� The Internet registry established
pursuant to this section shall be separate from the domestic violence central
registry established pursuant to section 1 of P.L.1999, c.421 (C.2C:25-34).

���� c.���� The Internet registry
shall contain the following information for any person to be included in the
registry:

���� (1)�� the person�s name and
any aliases the person has used or under which the person may be or may have
been known;

���� (2)�� a brief description of
any crime or offense involving domestic violence for which the person was
convicted; the date and location of each disposition; and a general description
of the person�s modus operandi, if applicable;

���� (3)�� the person�s age, race,
gender, date of birth, height, weight, hair, eye color, and any distinguishing
scars or tattoos;

���� (4)�� a photograph of the person
and the date on which the photograph was entered into the registry;

���� (5)�� the make, model, color,
year, and license plate number of any vehicle operated by the person; and

���� (6)�� the person�s last known
address.

���� d.��� A person whose name is
erroneously included in the registry established pursuant to this section may
petition the Administrative Office of the Courts for removal of the person�s
name.� The Administrative Office of the Courts shall remove the person�s name
from the registry in response to the petition if the person:

���� (1)�� has not had a final
domestic violence restraining order entered against the person; or

���� (2)�� has not been found
guilty of contempt of a temporary or final restraining order entered pursuant
to the provisions of the "Prevention of Domestic Violence Act of
1991," P.L.1991, c.261 (C.2C:25-17 et al.); or

���� (3)�� has not been found
guilty of a crime or offense involving domestic violence.

���� e.���� Within five days of a
change of address, a person whose name is included in the Internet registry shall
provide the Administrative Office of the Courts with the new address.�

���� f.���� On the website through
which a person may search the Internet registry, the Administrative Office of
the Courts shall include the following information regarding:

���� (1)�� the manner in which a
person may petition the Administrative Office of the Courts for removal of
their name from the registry;

���� (2)�� the circumstances under
which the Administrative Office of the Courts would grant the petition; and

���� (3)�� the manner in which a
person may provide an updated address.

���� 2.��� a.� A law enforcement
officer conducting an arrest shall determine if any domestic violence
restraining order has been entered against the arrested person.� The
determination shall include a search of the central registry created pursuant
to section 1 of P.L.1999, c.421 (C.2C:25-34) and section 1 of P.L.�� , c.���
(C.������� ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).

���� b.��� The Attorney General may
promulgate rules and regulations, pursuant to the "Administrative
Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), necessary to
effectuate the purposes of this act.

���� 3.��� This act shall take
effect on the first day of the seventh month next following the date of
enactment.�

STATEMENT

���� This bill establishes
�Stephanie�s Law,� to require the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC), in
conjunction with the Attorney General, to develop and maintain a
publicly-accessible domestic violence Internet registry, and require law
enforcement officers to search the State�s domestic violence registries upon
arresting a person.� This registry established under the bill is to be separate
from the domestic violence central registry maintained by the AOC pursuant to
N.J.S.A.2C:25-34, which is not accessible to the public.�

���� Under the bill, the public is
to be able to access the registry to obtain all available information
concerning any person who has been convicted of a crime or offense involving
domestic violence; has had a final domestic violence restraining order issued against
them; or has committed contempt of a temporary or final domestic violence restraining
order. �The Internet registry is to contain the following information for any
person to be included in the registry: (1) the person�s name and any aliases
the person has used or under which the person may be or may have been known; (2)
a brief description of any crime or offense involving domestic violence for
which the person was convicted; the date and location of each disposition; and a
general description of the person�s modus operandi, if applicable; (3) the person�s
age, race, gender, date of birth, height, weight, hair, eye color, and any
distinguishing scars or tattoos; (4) a photograph of the person and the date on
which the photograph was entered into the registry; (5) the make, model, color,
year, and license plate number of any vehicle operated by the person; (6) and
the person�s last known address.

���� A person whose name is erroneously
included in the registry established under the bill may petition the AOC for
removal of the person�s name.� The AOC is required to remove the person�s name
from the registry if the person has not had a final domestic violence
restraining order entered against them, has not been found guilty of contempt
of a temporary or final domestic violence restraining order, or has not been
found guilty of a crime or offense involving domestic violence. Within five
days of a change of address, a person whose name is included in the registry is
required provide the AOC with the new address.�

���� On the website through which a
person may search the registry established under the bill, the AOC is required
to include information regarding: the manner in which a person may petition the
AOC to remove their name; the circumstances under which the AOC would grant a petition
to remove their name; and the manner in which a person may provide an updated
address to the AOC.

���� In addition, the provisions of
the bill require a law enforcement officer to determine, upon an arrest, if
there is a domestic violence restraining order entered against the person.�
This determination is to include a search of the central domestic violence
registry maintained by the AOC established pursuant to N.J.S.A.2C:25-34, as
well as the publicly-accessible central registry established under the bill.�

���� This bill, designated
�Stephanie�s Law,� is named after a domestic violence victim, Stephanie Nicole
Parze, who was murdered by her ex-boyfriend.� The Stephanie Nicole Parze
Foundation was created in her memory to provide support to victims of domestic
violence.� This bill, which is intended to provide additional protections for
victims of domestic violence, is named in her honor.