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S1270 S2566 2R SCS FISCAL ESTIMATE
LEGISLATIVE FISCAL ESTIMATE
[Second Reprint]
SENATE COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR
SENATE, Nos. 1270 and 2566
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
222nd LEGISLATURE
DATED: JULY 2, 2026
SUMMARY
Synopsis:
Eliminates statute of limitations for human trafficking
and criminal sexual contact prosecutions and eliminates statute of
limitations for civil cases arising from human trafficking.
Type of Impact:
Annual State expenditure and revenue increases; annual
local expenditure increase.
Agencies Affected:
The Judiciary, Department of Law and Public Safety,
Counties.
Office
of Legislative Services Estimate
Fiscal Impact
Annual�
State Expenditure Increase
Indeterminate
State Revenue Increase
Indeterminate
Local Expenditure Increase
Indeterminate
�
The Office of Legislative Services (OLS) finds that this bill
would result in annual indeterminate State expenditure and revenue increases.
The Judiciary will incur an indeterminate increase in annual operating
expenditures, as additional resources will likely have to be allocated to a
potentially increased civil caseload from the elimination of the civil statute
of limitations.� The OLS also anticipates collections from court filing fees to
grow in tandem with the caseload.
�
The OLS notes that the elimination of criminal statute of
limitations for
human trafficking and certain
criminal sexual contact
crimes may result in increased prosecutions for
the Department of Law and Public Safety and county prosecutors.� This may lead
to an increase in caseload and administrative expenses.
BILL DESCRIPTION
����� This bill eliminates
the statute of limitations for criminal prosecutions of human trafficking and
aggravated criminal sexual contact and eliminates the statute of limitations
under which a victim of human trafficking may bring a civil suit against the
perpetrator.
����� Currently, a
prosecution for human trafficking must be commenced, by way of an indictment,
within five years after the offense is committed. Also, a prosecution for
criminal sexual contact, when the victim is under 18 years old, must be
commenced, by way of an indictment, within five years of the victim turning 18
or within two years of the discovery of the offense, whichever is later.
����� Additionally, under
current law, a civil suit brought by a victim of human trafficking must also be
filed within five years. A civil suit may be brought against: (1) the offender;
(2) all those acting in concert with that offender; (3) all those knowingly
deriving a pecuniary benefit from the offense, whether or not these parties are
acting in concert with the offender; and (4) all those knowingly maintaining
any victim of the offense, whether or not these parties are acting in concert
with the offender.
����� Under the bill, a
criminal prosecution for human trafficking or aggravated criminal sexual
contact, regardless of the age of the victim, may be commenced at any time.
Also, under the bill, a civil suit for human trafficking may be filed at any
time.
����� Finally, the bill
expands the scope of defendants in a civil suit for human trafficking to
include all those who derive a direct or indirect pecuniary benefit from the
offense, whether or not these parties are acting in concert with the offender,
knowing or in reckless disregard that the pecuniary benefit they derived was
from the human trafficking offense, and all those who maintain any victim of
the offense, whether or not these parties are acting in concert with the
offender, knowing or in reckless disregard that the person they maintained was
the victim of the human trafficking offense.
FISCAL ANALYSIS
EXECUTIVE BRANCH
����� None received.
OFFICE OF LEGISLATIVE SERVICES
����� The OLS notes that the Judiciary will incur an
indeterminate increase in annual operating expenditures, as additional
resources will likely have to be allocated to a potentially increased civil
caseload from the elimination of the civil statute of limitations for lawsuits
related to human trafficking.� The OLS also anticipates collections from court
fees to grow in tandem with the caseload.
����� The OLS notes that the elimination of criminal statute
of limitations for human trafficking and certain criminal sexual contact crimes
may result in increased prosecutions for the Department of Law and Public
Safety and county prosecutors.� This may lead to an increase in caseload and
administrative expenses.
����������� Furthermore, it should be noted that the Office
of the Attorney General listed combating human trafficking as one of her top
five priorities in her April 8, 2026 testimony to the Assembly Budget
Committee, and that there is a dedicated Human Trafficking Unit in the Division
of Criminal Justice.�
Section:
Judiciary
Analyst:
Anuja Pande Joshi
Senior Research Analyst
Approved:
Thomas Koenig
Legislative Budget and Finance Officer
This legislative fiscal estimate has been produced by the
Office of Legislative Services due to the failure of the Executive Branch to
respond to our request for a fiscal note.
This fiscal estimate has been prepared pursuant to P.L.1980,
c.67 (C.52:13B-6 et seq.).