---
type: "Bill"
title: "\"Dignity for Incarcerated Primary Caretaker Parents Act.\""
description: "\"Dignity for Incarcerated Primary Caretaker Parents Act.\""
jurisdiction: "us/states/nj"
legislature: "New Jersey Legislature"
session: "218"
identifier: "A 3979"
citation: "New Jersey A 3979 (218)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["CHILDREN", "CORRECTIONS"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Cruz-Perez, Nilsa", "Greenstein, Linda R.", "Lopez, Yvonne", "Reynolds-Jackson, Verlina", "Ruiz, M. Teresa", "Vainieri Huttle, Valerie"]
version_count: 3
action_count: 13
vote_count: 7
first_action: "2018-05-17T04:00:00+00:00"
last_action: "2020-01-09T05:00:00+00:00"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/79a08547-0ff0-4451-b310-5694b38e17c1"
source_url: "http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/downloads.asp"
source_hash: "d3548dff76745394c19e075b088d484c3bc3a1b34fe11a37e07b6b9cdb5da545"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-nj"]
---

# New Jersey A 3979 (218) — "Dignity for Incarcerated Primary Caretaker Parents Act."

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Assembly Committee Substitute** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/2018/Bills/A4000/3979_U1.HTM)
2. **Introduced Version** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/2018/Bills/A4000/3979_I1.HTM)
3. **Reprint of Substitute** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/2018/Bills/A4000/3979_R1.HTM)

## Votes

- Reported out of Assembly committee as a substitute — **7–1** (pass) · lower
- Reported out of Senate committee with amendments — **10–2** (pass) · upper
- 3RDG FINAL PASSAGE — **28–11** (pass) · upper
- 3RDG FINAL PASSAGE — **48–19** (pass) · lower
- Reported favorably out of committee — **5–0** (pass) · upper
- CONCUR IN SA — **50–13** (pass) · lower
- Reported favorably out of committee — **6–2** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Cruz-Perez, Nilsa — primary (person)
- Greenstein, Linda R. — primary (person)
- Lopez, Yvonne — primary (person)
- Reynolds-Jackson, Verlina — primary (person)
- Ruiz, M. Teresa — primary (person)
- Vainieri Huttle, Valerie — primary (person)
- Caputo, Ralph R. — cosponsor (person)
- Giblin, Thomas P. — cosponsor (person)
- Holley, Jamel C. — cosponsor (person)
- Jasey, Mila M. — cosponsor (person)
- McKnight, Angela V. — cosponsor (person)
- Mosquera, Gabriela M. — cosponsor (person)
- Pintor Marin, Eliana — cosponsor (person)
- Speight, Shanique — cosponsor (person)
- Stack, Brian P. — cosponsor (person)
- Timberlake, Britnee N. — cosponsor (person)
- Tucker, Cleopatra G. — cosponsor (person)
- Turner, Shirley K. — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2018-05-17T04:00:00+00:00** Introduced in the Assembly, Referred to Assembly Law and Public Safety Committee `introduction, referral-committee`
- **2018-06-11T04:00:00+00:00** Reported and Referred to Assembly Appropriations Committee `referral-committee`
- **2019-03-18T04:00:00+00:00** Reported from Assembly Committee as a Substitute, 2nd Reading
- **2019-05-23T04:00:00+00:00** Passed Assembly (48-19-9) `passage`
- **2019-05-24T04:00:00+00:00** Received in the Senate, Referred to Senate Law and Public Safety Committee `referral-committee`
- **2019-06-06T04:00:00+00:00** Reported out of Senate Committee, 2nd Reading `committee-passage`
- **2019-06-06T04:00:00+00:00** Referred to Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee `referral-committee`
- **2019-12-05T05:00:00+00:00** Reported out of Senate Committee with Amendments, 2nd Reading `committee-passage`
- **2019-12-16T05:00:00+00:00** Substituted for S2540 (SCS/1R)
- **2019-12-16T05:00:00+00:00** Passed Senate (28-11) `passage`
- **2019-12-16T05:00:00+00:00** Received in the Assembly, 2nd Reading on Concurrence
- **2019-12-16T05:00:00+00:00** Passed Assembly (Passed Both Houses) (50-13-5) `passage`
- **2020-01-09T05:00:00+00:00** Approved P.L.2019, c.288. `executive-signature`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/79a08547-0ff0-4451-b310-5694b38e17c1`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official New Jersey legislature records).