Garden State Times

In response to a recent burglary at the residence of Assemblyman Paul Kanitra, Senate Republican Leader Anthony M. Bucco has called on Governor Murphy to sign legislation that would increase penalties for residential burglaries.

"The safety of our residents should be our utmost priority as elected officials," said Sen. Bucco. "I am calling on the Governor to immediately sign my bill to help provide law enforcement and prosecutors with the necessary tools to hold bad actors accountable and ensure safety within our communities—the longer we wait, the worse this situation will become."

Senator Bucco's bill, S-3006, was passed by the Senate in June with a vote of 36-1 and received unanimous approval from the Assembly in September. It is now awaiting Governor Murphy's signature.

The proposed legislation aims to enhance criminal penalties for burglaries involving residences or overnight dwellings by introducing two new offenses: "residential burglary" and "home invasion burglary." The offense of "residential burglary" would be classified as a second-degree crime, carrying increased penalties and a presumption of incarceration.

The second offense, "home invasion burglary," would apply when an offender commits residential burglary with a deadly weapon or inflicts, attempts to inflict, or threatens bodily injury during the crime. This offense would be classified as a first-degree crime with even greater penalties and a presumption of incarceration.