A 4125 New Jersey General Assembly · 2026-2027 Regular Session

Amends statutory definition of "abused child."

This bill amends New Jersey's legal definition of "abused child" to explicitly include human trafficking as a form of abuse. It adds that a child is considered abused if their parent, guardian, or custodian commits or allows human trafficking against them, as defined under state law (P.L.2005, c.77). This change ensures children subjected to trafficking within their household or under a guardian's care are recognized under the state's child abuse framework, requiring intervention by child protective services. The amendment does not alter existing definitions for physical, sexual, or neglect-related abuse but expands the scope to cover human trafficking as a distinct form of abuse.
Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2026
Committee Review
Floor Vote
Governor
Introduced Feb 19, 2026 Last action Feb 19, 2026
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Feb 19, 2026
Introduced
Introduced, Referred to Assembly Children, Families and Food Security Committee
lower
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Photo of Carol Murphy
Carol Murphy
DDemocratic
NJ
7