A 4674 New Jersey General Assembly · 2024-2025 Regular Session

Upgrades cyber-harassment of public servant or family member to third degree crime; requires Attorney General to establish cyber-harassment prevention initiatives; appropriates funds.*

This bill upgrades cyber-harassment targeting public servants or their family members to a third-degree crime (up from fourth-degree), increasing penalties. It establishes the Office of Cyber-Harassment Support within New Jersey’s Department of Law and Public Safety to provide victim assistance, develop educational programs, and coordinate with law enforcement and social media platforms to prevent such harassment. The office will create accessible reporting systems, offer counseling and legal aid, promote cyber ethics education in schools, and train law enforcement on handling cyber-harassment cases. The bill appropriates necessary funds from the General Fund to implement these provisions.

Sub-Topics: Social Media

Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Sep 2024

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Sep 12, 2024 Last action Jan 12, 2026

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What changed between versions

Introduced Version → Reprint AAP 1/8/26 1R · 4 edits

MODERATE

The Assembly Appropriations Committee amended the bill to replace the requirement to create a dedicated Office of Cyber-Harassment Support with a more flexible mandate for the Attorney General to undertake cyber-harassment prevention initiatives through existing divisions. The specific organizational structure (a named office with a Director) was removed in favor of giving the AG discretion over how to implement the goals, while the underlying tasks and objectives remain largely intact.

Scope change

The bill's scope narrowed from mandating a specific new organizational unit (an office with a director) to requiring the Attorney General to achieve the same goals through existing structures at the AG's discretion. The substantive policy objectives - upgrading cyber-harassment of public servants to a third-degree crime and promoting education, victim support, and law enforcement coordination - are unchanged.

SCOPE

The bill no longer requires creation of a standalone 'Office of Cyber-Harassment Support.' Instead, the Attorney General must undertake steps 'through' the Division of Violence Intervention and Victim Assistance, using whatever approach the AG deems appropriate.

REQUIREMENT

The requirement for a Director of the Office of Cyber-Harassment Support to manage and oversee all activities was eliminated. The AG is now directly responsible for conducting or effectuating the listed tasks.

ENFORCEMENT

Grant application authority shifted from 'the office' to 'the Attorney General' directly, and references to 'the office' throughout section 2(c) were replaced with 'this section.'

TECHNICAL

Assemblywoman Speight and Assemblyman Stanley added as co-sponsors.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Jan 8, 2026

Lower · Passed

Reported out of Assembly Committee with Amendments, 2nd Reading

lower

Jan 5, 2026

Committee

Reported and Referred to Assembly Appropriations Committee

lower

Sep 12, 2024

Introduced

Introduced in the Assembly, Referred to Assembly Judiciary Committee

lower

3 primary · 3 co-sponsors