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Read. Follow. Verify.New Jersey Bill Expands Child Abuse Definitions and Mandates Behavioral Services
Last action · January 13, 2026: Introduced, Referred to Assembly Judiciary CommitteeSponsors: Carol Murphy and 2 others
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What This Bill Would Do
New Jersey Bill A933 expands the definition of child abuse and neglect to include acts committed by individuals who are not a child's parent or legal guardian. Additionally, the legislation requires the Division of Child Protection and Permanency to refer children exhibiting for behavioral health services, making those services mandatory if refusal creates a high risk of continued behavior.
Expands legal protections and state intervention thresholds for minors by classifying physical and sexual abuse under broader perpetrator categories, while instituting mandatory behavioral intervention protocols for specific youth populations.
Who It Would Affect
Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Children under the age of 18
Minors receive expanded legal protections against abuse by non-guardians and may be subject to mandatory behavioral health service referrals.
Division of Child Protection and Permanency
The division is tasked with referring children to behavioral providers, enforcing mandatory participation under specific risk conditions, and documenting case plan outcomes.
Parents and legal guardians
Guardians may be required to participate in behavioral health services for their children under mandatory division determinations.
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who can now be classified as a perpetrator of child abuse under this bill?
Are behavioral health services mandatory for children who engage in problematic sexual behaviors?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Currently in committee. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Floor Vote.
Procedural history
1 action- Jan 13, 2026HouseIntroducedIntroduced, Referred to Assembly Judiciary Committee
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Expansion Beyond Parental Perpetrators
The legislation broadens New Jersey's child abuse statutes to encompass acts committed by non-guardians, addressing gaps in prior definitions.
Connected Entities
Sources
njleg.state.nj.us
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance75How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy60Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz40Current news / social attention level
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