S3049 —

2021, c.191 (S3049 3R) §§1-5CHAPTER -191 C.2B:12-34  toAn 2B:12-38Act §6concerning -municipal Notecourts,  and P.L.supplementing Title 2B of the New Jersey Statutes.

2021, CHAPTER 191, approved August 5, 2021 Senate, No.

3049 (Third Reprint)     An Act concerning municipal courts, and supplementing Title 2B of the New Jersey Statutes.

      C.2B:12-34  1.   Regional 1a.1  The Administrative Office of the Courts shall establish a regional municipal court pilot programprogram. in no fewer than 2[three] two qualified2 counties and no fewer than five municipalities in each county.

3The     pilot1.    programa. shall take place only in municipalities and counties that apply to the Administrative Office of the Courts to participate.3  The Administrative Director of the Courts in consultation with the assignment judges shall select appropriate counties and municipalities 1from a list of those counties and municipalities that have applied for the program1 for the implementation of the program.

      The 1b.  Administrative AnyOffice 2qualified2 county that has considered municipal court consolidation on a county-wide basis prior to the enactment of P.L.    c.     (C.     ) (pending before the LegislatureCourts asshall thisestablish bill)a mayregional submitmunicipal thatcourt informationpilot toprogram thein Administrativeno Directorfewer ofthan thetwo Courtsqualified counties and thatno countyfewer shallthan befive includedmunicipalities in theeach pilotcounty. program.

    The c. pilot 2Toprogram qualifyshall fortake selectionplace underonly thisin section, municipalities aand countycounties shallthat haveapply ato populationthe Administrative Office of lessthe thanCourts 300,000to participate.  The Administrative Director of the Courts in consultation with the assignment judges shall select appropriate counties and amunicipalities populationfrom densitya list of lessthose thancounties 500and peoplemunicipalities perthat squarehave mileapplied accordingfor tothe program for the 2010implementation decennialof census.the program.

If     oneb.    Any qualified county inthat has considered municipal court consolidation on a multi-countycounty-wide vicinagebasis qualifies,prior allto the countiesenactment inof P.L.2021, c.191 (C.2B:12-34 et seq.) may submit that information to the vicinageAdministrative qualify.2Director Theof populationthe Courts and populationthat densitycounty figuresshall setbe forthincluded in subsectionthe e.pilot program.

     c.     To qualify for selection under this section, a county shall have a population of less than 300,000 and a population density of less than 500 people per square mile according to the 2010 decennial census.

If one county in a multi-county vicinage qualifies, all the counties in the vicinage qualify.

The population and population density figures set forth in subsection e.

of this section.1section.        2.    A regional municipal court shall have jurisdiction over all matters falling within the jurisdiction of the municipal courts in the pilot program.

All  complaintsC.2B:12-35  issuedJurisdiction in the county by the State Police or any statewide law enforcement agency, or by any county law enforcement agency, any county code enforcement entity, or by any other non-municipal law enforcement agency, shall also fall within the jurisdiction of the regional municipal court,court. consistent with the provisions of N.J.S.2B:12-17 and N.J.S.2B:12-18.

       3.   2.    1a.1 A Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, fines and costs collected by the regional municipal court shall behave retainedjurisdiction byover theall regionalmatters municipalfalling courtwithin onthe ajurisdiction proof rata basis equal to the costsmunicipal associatedcourts within management, administration, operation, judge and staff salaries, and technology for the regionalpilot municipalprogram. court.

All complaints issued in the county by the State Police or any Statewide law enforcement agency, or by any county law enforcement agency, any county code enforcement entity, or by any other non-municipal law enforcement agency, shall also fall within the jurisdiction of the regional municipal court, consistent with the provisions of N.J.S.2B:12-17 and N.J.S.2B:12-18.

  C.2B:12-36  Disposition of fines, costs collected.

     3.    a.

 Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, fines and costs collected by the regional municipal court shall be retained by the regional municipal court on a pro rata basis equal to the costs associated with management, administration, operation, judge and staff salaries, and technology for the regional municipal court.

     1b. b.    A county participating in the pilot program may consider determining budgets for participating municipalities in that county by way of an assessment based on each participating municipality’s equalized value as determined by the appropriate county board of taxation.1taxation.        4.    Judicial appointments to the regional municipal court shall be made in accordance with the provisions of Article VI, Section VI, paragraph 1 of the State Constitution.  2Municipal court judges sitting in the municipal courts selected under section 1 of this act may be considered for appointment to the regional municipal court.2 The assignment judge of the vicinage shall have the authority to make a temporary appointment in the event of a vacancy.

      C.2B:12-37  5.   Judicial 1[The]appointments. Any regional municipal court established in a county that is included in the pilot program pursuant to subsection b.

of     section4.    1Judicial ofappointments P.L.   to , c.   (C.        ) (pending before the Legislatureregional as this bill), because that 2qualified2 county considered municipal court consolidationshall onbe amade county-widein basisaccordance priorwith to the enactmentprovisions of P.L.    ,Article c.  VI, (C.       Section )VI, (pendingparagraph before1 of the LegislatureState asConstitution.  thisMunicipal bill)court andjudges submittedsitting informationin onthe thatmunicipal previouscourts considerationselected tounder thesection Administrative1 Director of thethis Courts,act shallmay beginbe hearingconsidered casesfor noappointment laterto thanthe January 1, 2022, and any1 regional municipal courtcourt.  1inThe anyassignment otherjudge 2qualified2of county selected by the Administrativevicinage Directorshall ofhave the Courtsauthority forto the1make pilota 1[programs]temporary program1appointment shallin beginthe hearingevent casesof 1noa latervacancy. than1 one year following enactment.

      C.2B:12-38  6.   Certain Thisregional actmunicipal shallcourts taketo effectbegin 1[180]hearing 601cases. days after enactment except the Administrative Director of the Courts may take any anticipatory action in advance as the director deems necessary for the implementation of the pilot program.

                                          Establishes5.    Any regional municipal court established in a county that is included in the pilot program.program pursuant to subsection b.

of section 1 of P.L.2021, c.191 (C.2B:12-34), because that qualified county considered municipal court consolidation on a county-wide basis prior to the enactment of P.L.2021, c.191 (C.2B:12-34 et seq.) and submitted information on that previous consideration to the Administrative Director of the Courts, shall begin hearing cases no later than January 1, 2022, and any regional municipal court in any other qualified county selected by the Administrative Director of the Courts for the pilot program shall begin hearing cases no later than one year following enactment.

       6.    This act shall take effect 60 days after enactment except the Administrative Director of the Courts may take any anticipatory action in advance as the director deems necessary for the implementation of the pilot program.

       Approved August 5, 2021.