Bill Text: NJ A4319 | 2014-2015 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Establishes a one-year pilot program in the Office of the Attorney General concerning field testing for synthetic drugs.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Republican 3-1)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2015-03-19 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Judiciary Committee [A4319 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2014-A4319-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman MARY PAT ANGELINI
District 11 (Monmouth)
Assemblywoman AMY H. HANDLIN
District 13 (Monmouth)
Assemblywoman NANCY F. MUNOZ
District 21 (Morris, Somerset and Union)
Assemblywoman VALERIE VAINIERI HUTTLE
District 37 (Bergen)
SYNOPSIS
Establishes a one-year pilot program in the Office of the Attorney General concerning field testing for synthetic drugs.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act creating a one-year pilot program in the Office of the Attorney General concerning field testing for synthetic drugs.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. The Legislature finds and declares:
a. The Legislature recognizes the recent growth of synthetic drugs, such as synthetic marijuana and "bath salts," and the dangers caused by these substances.
b. Although the Legislature has enacted P.L.2011, c.120 (C.2C:35-5.3a and 2C:35-10.3a) and P.L.2013, c.35 (C.2C:35-5.3b and 2C:35-5.3c) which prohibit the manufacturing, distributing or dispensing, or the possessing of "bath salts" and synthetic cannabinoid (marijuana), better methods and strategies may exist which would provide law enforcement with necessary tools to respond to the growing dangers of synthetic drugs.
c. The Legislature further recognizes that law enforcement is in need of new testing methods which would allow for presumptive testing of synthetic drugs in the field.
d. Therefore, it is the intent of the Legislature to create a pilot program to evaluate new technologies which can be used by law enforcement for the presumptive identification of synthetic drugs in the field.
2. a. There is established a one-year pilot program in the Office of the Attorney General to evaluate the new technologies currently available to law enforcement for the purpose of testing and identifying synthetic drugs in the field. The pilot program shall focus on the use of available technology for the purposes of presumptive identification of synthetic drugs in the field.
b. The pilot program shall be established in three counties, one each in the northern, central and southern areas of the State.
c. Upon completion of the pilot program, the Attorney General shall submit a report evaluating the effectiveness of the pilot program to the Governor and the Legislature. The report shall contain recommendations of the Attorney General on the advisability of continuing, expanding, or modifying the program. The report shall evaluate the effectiveness of implementing the new technology and protocols to assist law enforcement to identify synthetic drugs in the field. Specifically, the evaluation shall include, but not be limited to, the following: (1) a review of the technical capabilities and accuracy rates of technologies and protocols selected for the pilot program; (2) a description of the impact this new technology would have on State and local crime labs; and (3) a description of the status of acceptance of the technologies and protocols selected for the presumptive identification of synthetic drugs.
3. This act shall take effect immediately and shall expire upon the filing of the final report.
STATEMENT
This bill would create a one-year pilot program in the Office of the Attorney General to evaluate the new technologies and protocols available to law enforcement for the purposes of identifying and testing synthetic drugs in the field. The pilot program would focus on the use of available technology for the purposes of presumptive identification of synthetic drugs in the field.
The pilot program would be established in three counties, one each in the northern, central and southern areas of the State.
The Attorney General would be required to submit a report evaluating the effectiveness of the pilot program to the Governor and the Legislature, upon completion of the pilot program. The report would contain recommendations of the Attorney General on the advisability of continuing, expanding, or modifying the program. The report would evaluate the effectiveness of implementing the new technology and protocols to assist law enforcement to identify synthetic drugs in the field. Specifically, the evaluation would include, but not be limited to, the following: (1) a review of the technical capabilities and accuracy rates of technologies and protocols selected for the pilot program; (2) a description of the impact this new technology would have on State and local crime labs; and (3) a description of the status of acceptance of the technologies and protocols selected for the presumptive identification of synthetic drugs.
