Bill Text: NJ A1589 | 2016-2017 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Prohibits persons convicted of certain crimes from serving on political party committees.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2016-01-27 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Judiciary Committee [A1589 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2016-A1589-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
217th LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2016 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman SCOTT T. RUMANA
District 40 (Bergen, Essex, Morris and Passaic)
SYNOPSIS
Prohibits persons convicted of certain crimes from serving on political party committees.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Act prohibiting persons convicted of certain crimes from serving on political party committees and supplementing Title 19 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. No person shall be eligible to serve as a member or chair of a State, county, or municipal committee of a political party, or on the executive committee of any such political party committee, if that person has been convicted of a crime involving dishonesty that is included in subsection b. of section 2 of P.L.2007, c.49 (C.43:1-3.1) or of a crime of the third degree or above, under the laws of this State, or under the laws of another state or of the United States of a crime or offense which, if committed in this State, would be such a crime or offense.
b. A person who files an acceptance for nomination for election at the primary election to the position of member of the State committee of a political party or of member of a county committee of a political party shall attach thereto a signed certification that the candidate is not disqualified from serving in that position by reason of conviction of a crime pursuant to subsection a. of this section. A person who is selected to fill a vacancy in a State, county, or municipal committee shall file such a certification with the chair and members of that committee prior to assuming the duties of a committee member. A person who is not a member of a party committee but is selected to serve on the executive committee of a party committee shall file such a certification with the chair and members of that party committee prior to assuming the duties of a member of the executive committee. All such persons shall be under a continuing duty to disclose in writing to the chair and members of the relevant party committee any conviction occurring during their service which disqualifies them from further service pursuant to subsection a. of this section.
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill prohibits persons convicted of certain crimes or offenses from serving on political party committees or in leadership positions with those committees. Specifically, it provides that a person will be ineligible to serve as member or chair of a State, county, or municipal committee of a political party, or on the executive committee of a party committee, if that person has been convicted of a crime involving dishonesty that is included in N.J.S.A.43:1-3.1, which lists crimes that are the basis for forfeiture of a public pension, or of any crime of the third degree or above. It requires a candidate for election to a State or county party committee who files an acceptance for nomination for election at the primary election to attach a signed certification that the candidate is not disqualified from serving in that position by reason of conviction of such a crime. A person who is selected to fill a vacancy in a State, county, or municipal committee must file such a certification with the chair and members of that committee prior to assuming the duties of a committee member. A person who is not a member of a committee but is selected to serve on the executive committee of a party committee must file such a certification with the chair and members of that party committee prior to assuming the duties of a member of the executive committee. All such persons would be under a continuing duty to disclose in writing to the chair and members of the relevant party committee any conviction occurring during their service which disqualifies them from further service.
Political party committees play an essential role in the electoral process. Party committees are involved in the nomination and election of candidates to public office. State and county committee members are elected at primary elections and political parties benefit from being able to use publicly-sponsored primary elections to select their candidates for public office. Members of county committees also perform the public function of selecting individuals to fill vacancies in the Legislature. There is, therefore, a compelling need to protect the public interest by excluding from party committees persons who have demonstrated a lack of integrity and whose participation in committee duties may undermine public confidence in the democratic process.
