2. There is established the Domestic Violence Fatality and Near Fatality Review Board. For the purposes of complying with the provisions of Article V, Section IV, paragraph 1 of the New Jersey Constitution, the board is established within the Department of Children and Families, but notwithstanding the establishment, the board shall be independent of any supervision or control by the department or any board or officer thereof.

The purpose of the board is to review the facts and circumstances surrounding domestic violence-related fatalities and near fatalities in New Jersey in order to identify their causes and their relationship to government and nongovernment service delivery systems, and to develop methods of prevention. The board shall: review trends and patterns of fatalities and near fatalities; evaluate the responses of government and nongovernment service delivery systems to fatalities and near fatalities and offer recommendations for improvement of these responses; identify and characterize high-risk groups in order to develop public policy; collect statistical data, in a consistent and uniform manner, on the occurrence of fatalities and near fatalities; and improve collaboration between State and local agencies and organizations for the purpose of developing initiatives to prevent domestic violence.

L.2003, c.225, s.2; amended 2012, c.16, s.149.