Bill
Bill > A3384
summary
Introduced
01/13/2026
01/13/2026
In Committee
01/13/2026
01/13/2026
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead
Introduced Session
2026-2027 Regular Session
Bill Summary
The bill extends the statute of limitations under which a victim of human trafficking may bring a civil suit against the perpetrator. Under current law, pursuant to subsection g. of N.J.S.A.2C:1-6, a civil suit brought by a victim of human trafficking under N.J.S.A.2C:13-8.1 must be filed within five years. Under the bill, a civil suit may be filed by a victim of human trafficking within 10 years of the conduct, within 10 years of a victim turning 18 years old if the victim is a minor, or within two years of a plaintiff's discovery of the injury, whichever is later. Extending the civil statute of limitations for human trafficking to 10 years will bring State law into accord with similar provisions under federal law. Under the bill, the civil statute of limitations will not begin to run until a continuing course of conduct relating to the human trafficking of the plaintiff is terminated. The statute of limitations may be tolled for any period of time during which the plaintiff is under a disability, which includes any intellectual disability, hospitalization for mental illness, or finding of mental incapacity. The bill prohibits a defendant who coerced a plaintiff who is a victim of human trafficking to delay filing suit by means of intimidation, duress, threats, or fraud from asserting a defense that the statute of limitations has already run.
AI Summary
This bill extends the time frame, known as the statute of limitations, within which a victim of human trafficking can file a civil lawsuit against their abuser. Currently, victims have five years to file a suit, but this bill proposes to allow them to file within 10 years of the abusive conduct, or 10 years after they turn 18 if they were a minor at the time of the abuse, or two years after they discover the injury, whichever is latest. This change aligns New Jersey law with similar federal provisions and ensures the clock doesn't start until any ongoing abuse or related conduct has ended. The bill also clarifies that the statute of limitations can be paused if the victim has a disability, such as an intellectual disability or mental incapacity, and prevents defendants from using the statute of limitations as a defense if they coerced the victim into delaying their lawsuit through intimidation, threats, or fraud.
Committee Categories
Justice
Sponsors (6)
Dan Hutchison (D)*,
Sterley Stanley (D)*,
Rosaura Bagolie (D),
Carol Murphy (D),
Verlina Reynolds-Jackson (D),
Shanique Speight (D),
Last Action
Introduced, Referred to Assembly Judiciary Committee (on 01/13/2026)
Official Document
bill text
bill summary
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bill summary
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bill summary
| Document Type | Source Location |
|---|---|
| State Bill Page | https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/bill-search/2026/A3384 |
| BillText | https://pub.njleg.gov/Bills/2026/A3500/3384_I1.HTM |
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