2B:19-2 Findings, declarations.

2. The Legislature finds and declares that:

a. The Judiciary routinely enters judgments and court orders setting forth assessments, surcharges, fines and restitution against litigants pursuant to statutory law.

b. The enforcement of court orders is crucial to ensure respect for the rule of law and credibility of the court process.

c. Despite monitoring of judgments and court orders by probation divisions and other segments of the Judiciary responsible for doing so, many orders are not complied with because there is a lack of central coordination, funding, automation, and control.

d. The Judiciary has successfully developed a hearing officer program in child support enforcement and a pilot criminal enforcement court project, which is in the process of being expanded, that have demonstrated significant increases in collections and compliance.

e. The Governor's Management Review Commission has reviewed the collections process in New Jersey and made recommendations supporting the establishment and funding of a Statewide comprehensive enforcement program operated by the Judiciary.

f. Upon passage of this act, the Supreme Court and the Chief Justice will establish a Statewide comprehensive enforcement program which will provide for the enforcement of court orders and oversee collection of court-ordered fines, assessments, surcharges and judgments in the civil, criminal and family divisions, the Tax Court and in municipal court as provided in section 6 of P.L.1995, c.9 (C.2B:19-6). The comprehensive enforcement program will provide for the collection of certain surcharges administratively imposed by the Division of Motor Vehicles as provided in section 6 of P.L.1995, c.9 (C.2B:19-6). The comprehensive enforcement program will utilize the child support hearing officer model and the pilot project criminal enforcement court model, supported by a Statewide automation system designed to increase collections, compliance and accountability.

L.1995, c.9, s.2; amended 1997, c.280, s.1; 2001, c.421, s.1.