N.J. Stat. tit. 52, ch. 13

in effect

N.J. Stat. § 52:13-1 Attendance of witnesses; production of books and papers; legal and clerical assistance

Any joint committee of the legislature, any standing committee of either house, or any special committee directed by resolution to enter upon any investigation or inquiry, the pursuit of which shall necessitate the attendance of persons or the production of books or papers, shall have power to compel the attendance before it of such persons as witnesses and the production before it of such books and papers as it may deem necessary, proper and relevant to the matter under investigation. Any such committee shall also have the power to employ such legal and clerical assistance as it may deem necessary to the proper conduct of the investigation.

N.J. Stat. § 52:13-2 Summons for witnesses; execution

If any person upon being summoned in writing by order of any committee mentioned in section 52:13-1 of this title to appear before such committee and testify, fails to obey such summons, the speaker of the house of assembly or the president of the senate may, upon application to him, by warrant under his hand order the sergeant at arms of the house over which he presides to arrest such person and bring him before the committee, and the sergeant at arms shall thereupon execute the warrant to him so directed.

N.J. Stat. § 52:13-3 Compensation of witnesses; swearing witnesses; perjury; immunity; refusal to answer or be sworn

Witnesses summoned to appear before any committee authorized by this article or any other law to conduct an investigation or inquiry shall be entitled to receive the same fees and mileage as persons summoned to testify in the courts of the state. All such witnesses may be sworn by any member of the committee conducting the investigation or inquiry; and all witnesses sworn before any such committee shall answer truly all questions put to them which the committee shall decide to be proper and pertinent to the investigation or inquiry; and any witness so sworn who shall swear falsely shall be guilty of perjury. No such witness shall be excused from answering any such questions on the ground that to answer the same might or would incriminate him; but no answers made by any witness to any such questions shall be used or admitted in evidence in any proceeding against such witness, except in a criminal prosecution against the witness for perjury in respect to his answers to such questions. Any witness who refuses to answer any questions decided by the committee to be proper and pertinent shall be guilty of a misdemeanor; and any witness who, having been summoned to appear before any such committee, fails to appear in obedience to the summons or, appearing, refuses to be sworn shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.

N.J. Stat. § 52:13-4 Expenses of investigations; payment

The state treasurer shall, upon the warrant of the state comptroller, pay the fees and mileage of witnesses called, the compensation of legal and clerical assistance employed and the expenses of the sergeant at arms of either house in the execution of warrants pursuant to section 52:13-2 of this title, when the same shall be certified as correct and necessary by the chairman of the committee under whose authority and by whose order the same shall have been incurred, but only when the chairman's certificate has received the approval of the governor.

N.J. Stat. § 52:13-5 What constitutes contempt; report thereof to legislature

Whenever, in any investigation or inquiry by any committee constituted by joint resolution of the legislature to enter upon or make such investigation or inquiry, any witness summoned or subpoenaed to appear before such committee to testify or to produce books, documents, papers or records, shall willfully neglect or refuse to appear in obedience to the summons or subpoena, or shall willfully neglect or refuse to produce any books, documents, papers or records commanded to be produced by the summons or subpoena, or shall refuse to be sworn or affirmed, or shall refuse to answer any question put to him which the committee shall decide to be proper and pertinent to such investigation or inquiry, or shall in any other way contemn the authority or privileges of the legislature, and the facts alleged to constitute any such contempt shall have been reported by any such committee to the legislature, the alleged contemner shall be tried, and the alleged contempt determined, as hereinafter provided.

N.J. Stat. § 52:13-6 Joint session to determine alleged contempt; order for arrest; service.

52:13-6. The senate and general assembly may by concurrent resolution direct that the senate and general assembly meet in joint session at a time and place therein fixed for the purpose of hearing the evidence and arguments regarding the alleged contempt and may order that a warrant, directed to any sergeant at arms of either house or of the joint session or to any sheriff, police officer, member of the state police, or other peace officer, issue in such manner as shall be prescribed in and by the concurrent resolution for the arrest of the alleged contemner and the production of him at the bar of such joint session, there to be heard. amended 2023, c.250, s.47.

N.J. Stat. § 52:13-7 Hearing by joint session.

At the time and place fixed as aforesaid, or at any adjournment, the joint session shall sit and summarily hear the evidence and the arguments relating to the alleged contempt. The joint session shall adjourn from time to time until the matter shall have been disposed of and the alleged contemner shall appear and attend at each and every such adjourned session.

N.J. Stat. § 52:13-8 Contemner's rights.

Any alleged contemner shall have the right to be heard before the joint session, to be represented by counsel, to call witnesses in his behalf, and to examine and cross-examine witnesses.

N.J. Stat. § 52:13-9 Determination of contempt by each house separately; concurrent resolution.

After the joint session shall have heard the evidence and such arguments as may be made, the senate and the general assembly shall separately convene and shall separately consider and determine the alleged contempt; and the determination shall be by a concurrent resolution, which may originate in either house.

N.J. Stat. § 52:13-10 Sentence; order of commitment.

52:13-10. Any person found to be guilty of a contempt of the legislature by a concurrent resolution of the two houses thereof, as hereinbefore provided, may be sentenced to imprisonment in the state prison or in the common jail of any county for any period not exceeding six months as shall be directed in and by the concurrent resolution determining the contempt, for the execution of which such concurrent resolution may order that a commitment shall issue, directed to any sheriff, police officer, member of the state police, or other peace officer, and to the keeper of the state prison or the keeper of the common jail of any county, which commitment shall be signed by the president of the senate and the speaker of the house of assembly in office at the date of the issue thereof. amended 2023, c.250, s.48.

N.J. Stat. § 52:13-11 Continuing validity of commitment.

Any commitment issued in accordance with section 52:13-10 of this title shall remain valid and effective until the imprisonment therein set forth shall have been served, notwithstanding the legislature which directed the issue of the commitment may meanwhile have adjourned or ended.

N.J. Stat. § 52:13-12 Bail of contemner.

Any judge of the Superior Court may let to bail any person apprehended for hearing on a charge of contempt under a warrant issued by direction of a concurrent resolution as provided in section 52:13-6 of this Title, in such amount and with such surety as the judge shall determine to be reasonable, to appear before the Joint Session of the Legislature, at the time and place fixed by the warrant as well as at any and all adjournments thereof, and to stand to and abide such determination and sentence as may thereafter be found or imposed against the person so apprehended. Such recognizances shall run in favor of the State of New Jersey and shall be filed by the judge in the office of the Secretary of State. Amended by L.1953, c. 49, p. 853, s. 2.

N.J. Stat. § 52:13-13 Powers given additional to other powers

The powers given by this article shall be in addition to the powers given by article 1 of this chapter (s. 52:13-1 et seq.).

Source: Open US Law by Vaquill AI (CC BY 4.0)URL: https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/legislative-activity/statutesFetched: 10/17/2026