Bill Text: NJ S3055 | 2012-2013 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Authorizes AOC to assess, collect, and pay service charges and costs for electronic payment of fees and other obligations owed courts; prohibits defendants from using debit cards for bail and penalty payments for certain crimes.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-1)
Status: (Enrolled - Dead) 2014-01-21 - Pocket Veto - Bills not Acted on by Governor-end of Session [S3055 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2012-S3055-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Senator NICHOLAS P. SCUTARI
District 22 (Middlesex, Somerset and Union)
SYNOPSIS
Authorizes AOC to assess, collect, and pay service charges and costs for electronic payment of fees and other obligations owed courts; prohibits defendants from using debit cards for bail and penalty payments for certain crimes.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning electronic payments accepted by courts, and amending P.L.1995, c.325.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Section 6 of P.L.1995, c.325 (C.2B:1-5) is amended to read as follows:
6. a. Notwithstanding the provisions of any other law to the contrary, the Supreme Court, the Superior Court and the Tax Court, and the various municipal and joint municipal courts when permitted by resolution of the appropriate municipal governing bodies, are authorized to establish systems to accept the payment of civil and criminal fines and penalties and other judicially imposed financial obligations by credit or debit card based payment, electronic funds transfer, or any other electronic method deemed feasible by the Supreme Court.
b. No person or organization that is a defendant in a criminal matter shall be entitled to offer a credit or debit card for the payment of bail or for the payment of fines or penalties related to the imposition of a sentence, for a crime of the first, second or third degree under Title 2C of the New Jersey Statutes.
c. If not legally prohibited by an association, financial institution, or [by an] a card issuer, [any court] the Administrative Office of the Courts, pursuant to the Rules of Court, is authorized to assess [and] , collect, and pay service charges [related to] and other costs associated with the collection of filing fees, administrative fees, judicially imposed financial obligations and related charges owed to [or collected by the] a court when parties process these fees, judicially imposed financial obligations, and related charges using credit cards, debit cards [or] , electronic funds transfer systems [are utilized] , or any other electronic method deemed feasible by the Supreme Court. Any service charges and other costs assessed and collected by the Administrative Office of the Courts pursuant to this section shall be deposited in the "Court Computer Information System Fund" established by subsection c. of section 1 of P.L.1994, c.54 (C.2B:1-4).
d. The Supreme Court of the State of New Jersey shall adopt Rules of Court appropriate or necessary to effectuate the purposes of this section.
(cf: P.L.1995, c.325, s.6)
2. This act shall take effect on the first day of the fourth month next following enactment.
STATEMENT
This bill concerns electronic payments accepted by courts, including court fees, judicially imposed financial obligations and related charges, and bail.
It would authorize the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) to assess, collect, and pay service charges and other costs associated with the collection of filing fees, administrative fees, judicially imposed financial obligations such as payment of a fine or penalty, and related charges. Any such charges and other costs assessed and collected by the AOC would be deposited in the existing "Court Computer Information System Fund," established by subsection c. of section 1 of P.L.1994, c.54 (C.2B:1-4).
In addition, the bill would prohibit defendants from using a debit card for the payment of bail, or the payment of fines or penalties related to the imposition of a sentence, for a crime of the first, second, or third degree under the Criminal Code (Title 2C of the New Jersey Statutes).
