New Jersey Assembly Bill A2164

New Jersey 2026-2027 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/13/26
• Refer: 1/13/26

Caption

Establishes pilot program in certain municipalities to make grants available to non-profit organizations to perform outreach regarding VCCO.

Summary

Assembly Bill 2164 directs the Department of Law and Public Safety to create a three-year pilot grant program for nonprofit organizations that conduct community outreach about the availability of compensation through the Victims of Crime Compensation Office (VCCO). The program would operate in the six urban municipalities with the highest crime index in New Jersey, as identified by the most recent Uniform Crime Report from the State Police. Nonprofits would apply through procedures set by the department, and the bill is designed to improve awareness of victim compensation benefits in communities with elevated crime levels. At the end of the pilot, the department must submit a report to the Governor and Legislature within 90 days evaluating how the program worked and recommending whether it should be continued, expanded, or made permanent. The bill takes effect immediately and expires after the required report is filed, making it a temporary, evaluative measure rather than a permanent program change.

Impact

The bill would add a new, time-limited grant program within the Department of Law and Public Safety and create a targeted outreach initiative tied to the Victims of Crime Compensation Office. It does not amend the underlying VCCO compensation eligibility rules, but it would expand state-supported outreach efforts through nonprofit partners in selected high-crime municipalities. The bill also imposes a reporting requirement on the department and creates a sunset tied to completion of the pilot and submission of the evaluation report.

Sentiment

No committee transcripts or recorded votes were provided, so there is no direct evidence of legislative debate or formal support/opposition in the available record. Based on the bill text, the measure appears policy-oriented and administrative, with a focus on improving access to existing victim compensation resources rather than creating a controversial new benefit. The pilot structure and required report suggest an intent to test effectiveness before any broader commitment.

Contention

The main policy choice embedded in the bill is geographic targeting: the pilot is limited to the six urban municipalities with the highest crime index, which may raise questions about whether other communities with crime-related needs should also receive outreach support. Another possible point of discussion is whether grant funding should go directly to nonprofits for outreach rather than through a broader state-run public information campaign. Because no transcripts or votes are available, no specific lawmakers or stakeholder groups are identified as holding these concerns.