Bill Text: NJ A1748 | 2010-2011 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Expands membership of Domestic Violence Fatality and Near Fatality Review Board.
Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 5-1)
Status: (Passed) 2011-09-16 - Approved P.L.2011, c.129. [A1748 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2010-A1748-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
214th LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2010 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman BONNIE WATSON COLEMAN
District 15 (Mercer)
Assemblywoman CLEOPATRA G. TUCKER
District 28 (Essex)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblywomen Rodriguez and Greenstein
SYNOPSIS
Expands membership of Domestic Violence Fatality and Near Fatality Review Board.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel
An Act concerning domestic violence and amending P.L.2003, c.225.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Section 3 of P.L.2003, c.225 (C.52:27D-43.17c) is amended to read as follows:
3. a. The board shall consist of [21] 23 members as follows:
(1) the Commissioners of Community Affairs, Human Services, Children and Families, and Health and Senior Services, the Director of the Division on Women in the Department of Community Affairs, the Attorney General, the Public Defender, the Superintendent of the State Police, the Director of the Division of Youth and Family Services in the Department of Children and Families, the Supervisor of the Office on the Prevention of Violence Against Women in the Department of Community Affairs established pursuant to Executive Order No. 61 (1992), the State Medical Examiner, the Program Director of the Domestic Violence Fatality Review Board established pursuant to Executive Order No. 110 (2000) and [the Executive Director of the New Jersey Task Force on Child Abuse and Neglect] the chairperson of the Child Fatality and Near Fatality Review Board, or their designees, who shall serve ex officio;
(2) eight public members appointed by the Governor who shall include a representative of the County Prosecutors Association of New Jersey with expertise in prosecuting domestic violence cases, a representative of the New Jersey Coalition for Battered Women, a representative of a program for battered women that provides intervention services to perpetrators of acts of domestic violence, a representative of the law enforcement community with expertise in the area of domestic violence, a psychologist with expertise in the area of domestic violence or other related fields, a licensed social worker with expertise in the area of domestic violence, a licensed health care professional knowledgeable in the screening and identification of domestic violence cases and a county probation officer; and
(3) two retired judges appointed by the Administrative Director of the Administrative Office of the Courts, one with expertise in family law and one with expertise in municipal law as it relates to domestic violence.
b. The public members of the board shall serve for three-year terms, except that of the public members first appointed, four shall serve for a period of one year, three shall serve for a period of two years and two shall serve for a period of three years. The members shall serve without compensation, but shall be eligible for reimbursement for necessary and reasonable expenses incurred in the performance of their official duties and within the limits of funds appropriated for this purpose. Vacancies in the membership of the board shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointments were made.
c. The board shall select a chairperson from among its members who shall be responsible for the coordination of all activities of the board.
d. The board is entitled to call to its assistance and avail itself of the services of employees of any State, county or municipal department, board, bureau, commission or agency as it may require and as may be available for the purposes of reviewing a case pursuant to the provisions of this act.
e. The board may seek the advice of experts, such as persons specializing in the fields of psychiatric and forensic medicine, nursing, psychology, social work, education, law enforcement, family law, academia, military affairs or other related fields, if the facts of a case warrant additional expertise.
(cf. PL.2003, c.225, s.3)
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill expands the membership of the Domestic Violence Fatality and Near Fatality Review Board from 21 members to 23 members by adding the Commissioner of Children and Families, the Director of the Division of Youth and Family Services in the Department of Children and Families, and the chairperson of the Child Fatality and Near Fatality Review Board.
The bill also removes the Executive Director of the New Jersey Task Force on Child Abuse and Neglect from the board's membership.
