S 1284

SENATE, No. 1284
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
222nd LEGISLATURE
�
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Senator LINDA R. GREENSTEIN
District 14 (Mercer and Middlesex)
Senator CARMEN F. AMATO, JR.
District 9 (Ocean)
SYNOPSIS
���� Makes supplemental appropriation of $3 million to NJ
Division of State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Unit.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
���� Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative
Counsel.
��
A
Supplement to the annual appropriations act
for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2026, P.L.2025, c.74.
���� Be It
Enacted by the Senate and the General Assembly
of the State of New Jersey:
���� 1.��� In addition to the
amounts appropriated under P.L.2025, c.74, the annual appropriations act for
the fiscal year ending June 30, 2026, there is appropriated from the General
Fund the following amount for the purpose specified:
66 DEPARTMENT OF LAW AND PUBLIC
SAFETY
10 Public Safety and Criminal Justice
12 Law Enforcement
1200 State Police Operations
DIRECT STATE SERVICES
06-1200 State Police
Operations ........................................ $3,000,000
��������������� Total Direct
State Services appropriation,............................
������������������ State
Police Operations .................................... $3,000,000
Direct State Services:
�������� 06�� Special
Purpose:
�������� New Jersey
Division of State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Unit Enhancement........... ��
($3,000,000)
The amount appropriated hereinabove
for State Police Operations �
Internet Crimes
Against Children Unit shall be for the purpose of carrying out the mission of
the unit, including offsetting the costs of training, equipment, vehicle
purchases and outfitting, software licenses, and staff mental health
initiatives.�
The unexpended balance at the end of the
preceding fiscal year in the New Jersey Division of State Police Internet
Crimes Against Children Unit account is to be appropriated for the same
purpose.
���� 2.��� This act shall take
effect immediately.
STATEMENT
���� This supplemental
appropriation provides $3 million to State Police Operations, in the Division
of State Police in the Department of Law and Public Safety, for use by the State
Police Internet Crimes Against Children Unit (ICAC).
���� Under this bill, $3 million is
to be allocated to increase available funds to the ICAC Unit to advance its
mission of protecting children from offenders who use computers and computer
technology to exploit them, including offsetting the costs of advanced
personnel training, equipment, vehicle purchase and outfitting, software
licensing, and staff mental health initiatives. Any unexpended balance is
required to be carried forward to the following fiscal year to support the
purposes of the ICAC Unit.
���� The ICAC Unit witnessed the
number of incidents of online child abuse and exploitation spike as COVID-19
forced more people into the privacy of their homes, with abusers and children
spending more time on the Internet. �As the 2026 FIFA World Cup approaches, the
increase in visitors to the region creates a demand for certain illegal
services.� Online exploitation and abuse of children, including human
trafficking, is unfortunately anticipated to increase.
���� Although the federal Protect
Our Children Act of 2008 sought to develop a national strategy against online
child abuse and support the nation�s Internet Crimes Against Children Task
Forces, the federal government has provided limited funding, and currently all
federal funding is on hold due to the federal government shutdown.
���� This $3 million supplemental
appropriation will allocate needed funds to the ICAC Unit so they have the
resources needed to protect some of our most vulnerable citizens.