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A4431 • 2026

Upgrades crime of stalking when victim is less than 18 years old.

Upgrades crime of stalking when victim is less than 18 years old.

Crime
Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor
Dunn, Aura K.
Last action
2026-02-19
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.

Upgrades crime of stalking when victim is less than 18 years old.

Upgrades crime of stalking when victim is less than 18 years old.

What This Bill Does

  • Upgrades crime of stalking when victim is less than 18 years old.
  • Topic: Judiciary Fiscal note: This bill has not 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

  1. 2026-02-19 New Jersey Legislature

    Introduced, Referred to Assembly Judiciary Committee

Official Summary Text

Upgrades crime of stalking when victim is less than 18 years old.
Topic:
Judiciary
Fiscal note:
This bill has not been certified by OLS for a fiscal note.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
A4431

ASSEMBLY, No. 4431

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

INTRODUCED FEBRUARY 19, 2026

Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman� AURA K. DUNN

District 25 (Morris and Passaic)

SYNOPSIS

���� Upgrades crime of stalking when victim is less than
18 years old.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� As introduced.

��

An Act

concerning stalking and amending P.L.1992, c.209.

����
Be It Enacted

by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:

���� 1.��� Section 1 of P.L.1992,
c.209 (C.2C:12-10) is amended to read as follows:

���� 1.��� a.� As used in this act:

���� (1)�� "Course of
conduct" means repeatedly maintaining a visual or physical proximity to a
person; directly, indirectly, or through third parties, by any action, method,
device, or means, following, monitoring, observing, surveilling, threatening,
or communicating to or about, a person, or interfering with a person's
property; repeatedly committing harassment against a person; or repeatedly
conveying, or causing to be conveyed, verbal or written threats or threats
conveyed by any other means of communication or threats implied by conduct or a
combination thereof directed at or toward a person.

���� (2)�� "Repeatedly"
means on two or more occasions.

���� (3)�� "Emotional
distress" means significant mental suffering or distress.

���� (4)�� "Cause a reasonable
person to fear" means to cause fear which a reasonable victim, similarly
situated, would have under the circumstances.

���� b.��� A person is guilty of
stalking, a crime of the fourth degree, if he purposefully or knowingly engages
in a course of conduct directed at a specific person that would cause a
reasonable person to fear for his safety or the safety of a third person or
suffer other emotional distress.

���� c.���� A person is guilty of a
crime of the third degree if he commits the crime of stalking in violation of
an existing court order prohibiting the behavior.

���� d.��� A person who commits a
second or subsequent offense of stalking against the same victim is guilty of a
crime of the third degree.

���� e.���� A person is guilty of a
crime of the third degree if he commits the crime of stalking while serving a
term of imprisonment or while on parole or probation as the result of a
conviction for any indictable offense under the laws of this State, any other
state or the United States.

���� f.���� This act shall not
apply to conduct which occurs during organized group picketing.

����
g.��� A person is guilty of
a crime of the third degree if the person commits the crime of stalking against
a victim who is less than 18 years old.

(cf: P.L.2009, c.28, s.1)

���� 2.��� This act shall take
effect immediately.

STATEMENT

���� This bill would upgrade the
crime of stalking from a crime of the fourth degree to a crime of the third
degree if the victim was less than 18 years old.� A crime of the third degree
is punishable by a term of imprisonment of three to five years, a fine of up to
$15,000, or both.