Bill > A804

Introduced Session

This bill would make it a crime of the second degree to interfere with 9-1-1 public safety answering points. Under current law, a person is guilty of a crime of the second degree pursuant to N.J.S.A.2C:20-25 if, purposely or knowingly and without authorization, or in excess of authorization, he alters, damages or destroys any data, data base, computer, computer storage medium, computer program, computer software, computer system or computer network, or denies, disrupts or impairs computer services, including access to any part of the Internet, that are available to any other user of the computer services. This bill clarifies that interference with 9-1-1 service is also a crime of the second degree. This bill is intended to address the problem of hackers who unlawfully gain access to 9-1-1 systems and interfere with communications, making it difficult or impossible for callers needing emergency services to reach the 9-1-1 service. Specifically, the bill makes it a crime of the second degree to purposely or knowingly and without authorization, or in excess of authorization, deny, disrupt or impair computer services, including access to a public safety answering point (PSAP), as defined in N.J.S.A.52:17C-1. A PSAP is defined in the statute as "a facility, operated on a 24-hour basis, assigned the responsibility of receiving 9-1-1 calls and, as appropriate, directly dispatching emergency response services or transferring or relaying emergency 9-1-1 calls to other public safety agencies. A public safety answering point is the first point of reception by a public safety agency of 9-1-1 calls and serves the jurisdictions in which it is located or other participating jurisdictions." Under the provisions of subsection h. of N.J.S.A.2C:20-25, if the victim of the crime is a government agency, the defendant must be sentenced to a period of imprisonment that includes a minimum term of one-third to one-half of the sentence imposed, during which the defendant is not eligible for parole. The victim is deemed to be a government agency if a computer, computer network, computer storage medium, computer system, computer equipment, computer program, computer software, computer data or data base that is a subject of the crime is owned, operated or maintained by or on behalf of a governmental agency or unit of State or local government or a public authority. This bill also clarifies that a PSAP is encompassed within the provisions of subsection h. of N.J.S.A.2C:20-25. A crime of the second degree is generally punishable by a term of imprisonment of five to 10 years or a fine up to $150,000, or both.

AI Summary

Committee Categories

Paul Kanitra (R)*,  Greg McGuckin (R)*, 

Introduced, Referred to Assembly Public Safety and Preparedness Committee (on 01/09/2024)

Official Document