New Jersey § 2c:21-4

§ 2c:21-4.

With respect to sections 72 through 74 of P.L.2003, c.89 ( C.2C:21-4.5 through C.2C:21-4.7 ), the Legislature finds and declares: a. Insurance fraud is inimical to public safety, welfare and order within the State

of New Jersey. Insurance fraud is pervasive and expensive, costing consumers and businesses millions

of dollars in direct and indirect losses each year. Insurance fraud increases insurance premiums, to the detriment of individual policyholders,

small businesses, large corporations and governmental entities. All New Jerseyans ultimately bear the societal burdens and costs caused by those

who commit insurance fraud. b. The problem of insurance fraud must be confronted aggressively by facilitating

the detection, investigation and prosecution of such misconduct, as well as by reducing

its occurrence and achieving deterrence through the implementation of measures that

more precisely target specific conduct constituting insurance fraud. c. To enable more efficient prosecution of criminally culpable persons who knowingly

commit or assist or conspire with others in committing fraud against insurance companies,

it is necessary to establish a crime of “insurance fraud” to directly and comprehensively

criminalize this type of harmful conduct, with substantial criminal penalties to punish

wrongdoers and to appropriately deter others from such illicit activity. d. In addition to criminal penalties, in order to maintain the public trust and ensure

the integrity of professional licensees and certificate-holders who by virtue of their

professions are involved in insurance transactions, it is appropriate to provide civil

remedial provisions governing license or certificate forfeiture and suspension tailored

to this new crime of insurance fraud and other criminal insurance-related activities. e. To enhance the State's ability to detect insurance fraud, which will lead to more

productive investigations and, ultimately, more successful criminal prosecutions,

it is appropriate to provide members of the public with significant incentives to

come forward when they may have reasonable suspicions or knowledge of a person or

persons committing insurance fraud. The establishment of an Insurance Fraud Detection Reward Program will enable the

Insurance Fraud Prosecutor to obtain information which may lead to the arrest, prosecution

and conviction of persons or entities who have committed insurance-related fraud.