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Read. Follow. Verify.New Jersey Bill A607 Expands Bias Intimidation Crimes and Penalties
Last action · January 13, 2026: Introduced, Referred to Assembly Judiciary CommitteeSponsors: Gary Schaer and 8 others
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What This Bill Would Do
This bill expands New Jersey's law to include new predicate offenses, removes an unconstitutional provision regarding victim perception, establishes mandatory monetary penalties ranging from $250 to $2,000 for convictions to fund a new Bias Crime Prevention Fund, and permits plaintiffs to recover treble compensatory damages in civil lawsuits for bias-motivated harm.
People convicted of will face mandatory financial assessments, and victims gain the statutory right to seek triple damages in civil court against offenders whose actions were motivated by bias.
- In the 2015 case State v. Pomianek, the New Jersey Supreme Court struck down a portion of the state's bias intimidation statute for vagueness because it relied on the victim's perception of the defendant's state of mind. context
- Gary S. Schaer is an Assemblyman representing New Jersey's 36th legislative district, which includes parts of Bergen and Passaic counties. context
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.
Individuals convicted of bias intimidation
Offenders face mandatory additional financial penalties ranging from $250 to $2,000 depending on the degree of the crime, alongside separate sentencing for underlying offenses.
Plaintiffs in civil actions involving bias
Civil plaintiffs are eligible to receive treble compensatory damages if they prove the harm was actuated by bias intimidation motivation.
Department of Law and Public Safety
The department receives annual legislative appropriations from the newly established Bias Crime Prevention Fund to investigate bias crimes and run educational programs.
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
What new offenses are added to the bias intimidation law under this bill?
How are civil damages affected if a tort is motivated by bias?
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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.
Removal of Unconstitutional Provision
The bill explicitly removes paragraph (3) of N.J.S.2C:16-1 to align state law with the New Jersey Supreme Court ruling in State v. Pomianek.
Connected Entities
Sources
njleg.state.nj.us
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance75How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy60Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz40Current news / social attention level
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