Bill Text: NJ A3432 | 2022-2023 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Transfers authority to regulate bail agents from DOBI to DLPS; establishes Bail Agent Enforcement Unit, per SCI recommendations.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2022-03-08 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Financial Institutions and Insurance Committee [A3432 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2022-A3432-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman RONALD S. DANCER
District 12 (Burlington, Middlesex, Monmouth and Ocean)
SYNOPSIS
Transfers authority to regulate bail agents from DOBI to DLPS; establishes Bail Agent Enforcement Unit, per SCI recommendations.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning bail bond agents and agencies and supplementing and amending P.L.2003, c.202.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. (New section) All of the functions, powers, and duties pertaining to the licensing and oversight of bail agents or agencies as defined in section 1 of P.L.2003, c.202 (C.17:31-10), except as otherwise provided, are transferred to the Department of Law and Public Safety and shall be exercised by the Bail Agent Enforcement Unit established pursuant to section 2 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill). All records, equipment, and other personal property, appropriations, and any unexpended balances of funds appropriated or otherwise available to the Department of Banking and Insurance pertaining to the licensure and oversight of bail agents and agencies subject to the provisions of this act shall be transferred to the Bail Agent Enforcement Unit in the Department of Law and Public Safety pursuant to the "State Agency Transfer Act," P.L.1971, c.375 (C.52:14D-1 et seq.).
2. (New section) a. The Attorney General shall establish and maintain a Bail Agent Enforcement Unit within the Department of Law and Public Safety which shall be responsible for the licensing and oversight of bail agents or agencies as defined in section 1 of P.L.2003, c.202 (C.17:31-10).
b. The Bail Agent Enforcement Unit shall be empowered to ensure that the methods of operation of bail agents or agencies are conducted in accordance with current law and shall be authorized to investigate whether a bail agent or agency has engaged in, or is engaging in, any criminal act or offense under Title 2C of the New Jersey Statutes or Title 17 the Revised Statutes. In carrying out its functions and duties under this act, the Bail Agent Enforcement Unit shall be authorized to:
(1) inspect any premises of any bail agency operating in this State and examine any record, book, computer, electronic database, recording device, document, account, paper or other tangible thing, without prior notification, in connection with any investigation;
(2) seize and impound any record, book, computer, electronic database, recording device, document, account, paper or other tangible thing in connection with any investigation;
(3) work in coordination with the Superintendent of State Police to facilitate the arrest of any bail agent who engages in illegal activity; and
(4) work in coordination with the Commissioner of Banking and Insurance to ensure that each bail agent or agency is complying with all laws relative to the negotiation, solicitation or sale of bail bonds in this State.
c. The Bail Agent Enforcement Unit established under this section shall be supervised by a chief of staff appointed by the Attorney General and shall employ field investigators and administrative staff to assist in the enforcement of subsection b. of this section.
3. (New section) a. Following the effective date of this act, the Department of Banking and Insurance shall cease issuing licenses to bail bond agents and all licenses and enforcement of licensing requirements shall be conducted by the Bail Agent Enforcement Unit in accordance with P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill). A license shall be issued to an applicant who:
(1) consents to criminal history record background check to be performed. The Bail Agent Enforcement Unit is authorized to exchange fingerprint data with and receive criminal history record information from the State Bureau of Identification in the Division of State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation consistent with applicable State and federal laws, rules, and regulations. The applicant shall bear the cost for the criminal history record background check, including all costs of administering and processing the check. The Division of State Police shall promptly notify the Bail Agent Enforcement Unit in the event a current or prospective licensee, who was the subject of a criminal history record background check pursuant to this section, is arrested for a crime or offense in this State after the date the background check was performed;
(2) satisfactorily completes a training program approved by the Attorney General, which shall include, but not be limited to, instruction in arrest, search and seizure, and criminal law;
(3) successfully completes a written competency examination approved by the Attorney General; and
(4) complies with any further information that the Attorney General may require by regulation of the applicant.
b. The Bail Agent Enforcement Unit may deny the issuance of a license on the basis of the criminal history background check or failure to comply with the requirements set forth under subsection a. of this section. The denial of licensure as a bail enforcement agent under this section shall be reviewable by administrative adjudication as set forth in the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.).
4. Section 1 of P.L.2003, c.202 (C.17:31-10) is amended to read as follows:
1. As used in this act:
"Bail agent or agency" means any person or entity that solicits, negotiates or sells bail bonds, or is affiliated in any manner with the execution of bail and is licensed as a limited lines insurance producer pursuant to P.L.2001, c.210 (C.17:22A-26 et seq.), an insurance producer or a limited insurance representative.
["Commissioner" means the Commissioner of Banking and Insurance.]
"Surety company" means an insurer authorized to transact surety business in this State.
(cf: P.L.2003, c.202, s.1)
5. Section 2 of P.L.2003, c.202 (C.17:31-11) is amended to read as follows:
2. a. Upon receipt of a certification from the Clerk of the Superior Court stating that a bail agent or agency has failed to provide full, accurate and truthful information to the Clerk of the Superior Court as required by section 4 of [this act] P.L.2003, c.202, or has failed to satisfy a judgment or judgments for forfeited bail, the [commissioner] Attorney General shall notify the bail agent or agency that its authority to negotiate, solicit or sell bail bonds, or be affiliated in any manner with the execution of bail bonds in this State shall be temporarily suspended. Upon receipt of a certification from the Clerk of the Superior Court that a surety company has failed to register or provide full, accurate and truthful information to the Clerk of the Superior Court, as required by section 4 of [this act] P.L.2003, c.202 or has failed to satisfy a judgment for forfeited bail, the [commissioner] Attorney General may temporarily suspend the surety company's authority to negotiate, solicit or sell bail bonds, or be affiliated in any manner with the execution of bail bonds in this State. The temporary suspensions imposed in accordance with this section shall remain in effect until the Clerk of the Superior Court notifies the [commissioner] Attorney General that the surety company or bail agent or agency has properly registered and has provided information in accordance with section 4 of [this act] P.L.2003, c.202 or has satisfied the judgment or judgments for forfeited bail.
b. In addition to any temporary suspension imposed pursuant to subsection a. of this section, the [commissioner] Attorney General, after notice and an opportunity for a hearing, shall impose a fine against the surety company, bail agent or agency in an amount of up to $10,000 for a first violation, up to $25,000 for a second violation and up to $100,000 for a third or subsequent violation for failure to register or provide full, accurate and truthful information to the Clerk of the Superior Court, as required by section 4 of [this act] P.L.2003, c.202 or for failure to satisfy a judgment or judgments for forfeited bail.
c. The [commissioner] Attorney General shall not restore the surety company's authority to negotiate, solicit or sell bail bonds, or be affiliated in any manner with the execution of bail bonds in this State, until the surety company has demonstrated that it has satisfied all judgments or court orders related to forfeited bail and has paid all fines imposed pursuant to this act.
d. Nothing in this act shall be construed to limit, preclude or otherwise adversely affect the [commissioner's] Attorney General's ability to pursue enforcement actions against the surety company, bail agent or agency resulting from violations of the insurance laws arising from the breach of the duties owed to the courts as provided in subsection a. of this section.
(cf: P.L.2003, c.202, s.2)
6. Section 6 of P.L.2003, c.202 (C.17:31-15) is amended to read as follows:
6. The [commissioner] Attorney General may promulgate rules and regulations in accordance with the provisions of the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), necessary to effectuate the purposes of [this act] P.L.2003, c.202 (C.17:31-10 et seq.) and sections 1 through 3 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).
(cf: P.L.2003, c.202, s.6)
7. This act shall take effect on the first day of the seventh month following enactment except the Attorney General may take any anticipatory administrative action in advance as shall be necessary for the implementation of this act.
STATEMENT
This bill establishes the Bail Agent Enforcement Unit within the Department of Law and Public Safety. The bill transfers the all of the functions, powers, and duties pertaining to the licensing and oversight of bail agents or agencies from the Department of Banking and Insurance (DOBI) to the Department of Law and Public Safety. The transfer would be subject to the provisions of the "State Agency Transfer Act," P.L.1971, c.375 (C.52:14D-1 et seq.).
Under the provisions of the bill, the Bail Agent Enforcement Unit is responsible for the licensing and oversight of bail agents or agencies. The Bail Agent Enforcement Unit is to be supervised by a chief of staff appointed by the Attorney General and is to employ field investigators and administrative staff to carry out the functions of the unit. The bill authorizes the unit to ensure bail agents or agencies operate in accordance with current law. The unit also is required to investigate whether a bail agent or agency has committed criminal acts or offenses. In carrying out its functions and duties, the unit is authorized to inspect the premises of any bail agency and seize and impound certain records in connection with an investigation. The bill further authorizes the unit to work in coordination with the Superintendent of State Police to facilitate the arrest of any bail agent who engages in illegal activity. The unit is further directed to work in coordination with the Commissioner of DOBI to ensure that each bail agent and agency is complying with all of the laws relative to the negotiation, solicitation or sale of bail bonds in this State.
The bill also requires the Attorney General to issue a bail enforcement license to any bail agent who meets certain criteria. In addition to completing a training course and passing a written competency exam, applicants for a license must undergo a criminal history record background check. The Attorney General is given the authority to revoke the license of a bail enforcement agent under certain conditions.
Finally, the bill transfers certain statutorily established functions from the Commissioner of DOBI to the Attorney General. Under current law, the Commissioner of DOBI may impose monetary fines and a temporary suspension of the authority of the surety company, bail agent or agency to negotiate, solicit or sell bail bonds, or be affiliated in any manner with the execution of bail bonds in this State. Under the bill, these functions are transferred to the Attorney General.
This bill implements a recommendation by the State of New Jersey Commission of Investigation in its May 2014 report entitled, "Inside Out: Questionable and Abusive Practices in New Jersey's Bail-Bond Industry."
