SENATE BUDGET AND APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE
STATEMENT TO
SENATE, No. 3507
with committee amendments
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
DATED: MARCH 17, 2025
The Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee reports
favorably and with committee amendments Senate Bill No. 3507.
As amended, this bill creates the offense of inciting a public
brawl and upgrades the penalty for engaging in disorderly conduct
under certain circumstances.
Under the bill, a person is guilty of inciting a public brawl if the
person acts with purpose to organize or promote a group of four or
more other persons to engage in a course of disorderly conduct
through improper behavior or by causing a disturbance at a public
gathering. Inciting a public brawl is a crime of the fourth degree if
the person acts with purpose to disrupt or cause a disturbance at a
public gathering or event or knowing that a disruption or
disturbance is likely to occur; otherwise, it is a disorderly persons
offense.
Additionally, the bill provides that a person who attempts to
conceal or conceals the person’s identity while engaging in a course
of disorderly conduct, with the purpose to hinder prosecution or
avoid apprehension, is guilty of a disorderly persons offense. The
bill also establishes that a person commits disorderly conduct by
acting with purpose to disrupt or cause a disturbance at a public
gathering or event or engaging in behavior knowing that it will
disrupt or cause a disturbance at a public gathering or event is
guilty of a disorderly persons offense. Under current law, a person
who engages in a course of disorderly conduct commits a petty
disorderly persons offense.
A fourth degree crime is punishable by up to 18 months
imprisonment, a fine of up to $10,000, or both. A person who
commits a fourth degree crime may be eligible for entry into a
pretrial intervention program (PTI). The courts sets the conditions
of PTI, which may include random drug screening, community
service, mental health or substance abuse evaluations, and
compliance with treatment recommendations. A disorderly persons
offense is punishable by a term of imprisonment of up to six
months, a fine of up to $1,000, or both. A petty disorderly persons
offense is punishable by imprisonment of up to 30 days, a fine of up 2
to $500, or both. In the case of citations issued for petty disorderly
and disorderly persons offenses, appearance in court is mandatory.
As amended and reported by the committee, Senate Bill No. 3507
is identical to Assembly Bill No. 4652, which was also amended and
reported by the committee on this date.
COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS :
The committee amended the bill to:
(1) clarify that disorderly conduct includes causing a disturbance
at a public gathering;
(2) provide that a person commits disorderly conduct by
engaging in behavior knowing that it will disrupt or cause a
disturbance at a public gathering or event; and
(3) make certain technical changes.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Fiscal information for this bill is currently unavailable.