Bill Text: NJ A242 | 2010-2011 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Requires police departments and parole board to adopt maternity policies.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-1)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2010-01-12 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Law and Public Safety Committee [A242 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2010-A242-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
214th LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2010 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman CHARLOTTE VANDERVALK
District 39 (Bergen)
Assemblyman UPENDRA J. CHIVUKULA
District 17 (Middlesex and Somerset)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblyman Diegnan
SYNOPSIS
Requires police departments and parole board to adopt maternity policies.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel
An Act concerning certain police officers and parole officers, and supplementing chapter 14 of Title 40A of the New Jersey Statutes and chapter 4 of Title 30 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Every interstate, State, county, county park, and municipal police department or force and every educational institution which appoints police officers pursuant to P.L.1970, c.211 (C.18A:6-4.2 et seq.) shall adopt a maternity policy applicable to law enforcement officers who present proof of pregnancy.
For the purposes of this section, a law enforcement officer means a person whose public duties include the power to act as an officer for the detection, apprehension, arrest and conviction of offenders against the laws of this State.
2. The State Parole Board shall adopt a maternity policy applicable to parole officers who present proof of pregnancy.
3. This act shall take effect on the first day of the sixth month after enactment.
STATEMENT
This bill requires interstate, State, county, county park, and municipal police departments or forces and educational institutions which appoint police officers pursuant to P.L.1970, c.211 (C.18A:6-4.2 et seq.) to adopt a maternity policy applicable to law enforcement officers who present proof of pregnancy.
As used in the bill, "law enforcement officer means person whose public duties include the power to act as an officer for the detection, apprehension, arrest and conviction of offenders against the laws of this State.
Due to the risk of harm to the fetus, a pregnant police officer or parole officer is typically removed from street duty by her superiors. There are police departments and forces in this State which have formal written policies stating that pregnant officers are to be assigned to light duty, such as working at the dispatch desk, taking walk-in complaints or reviewing case files. Under this bill, the State Parole Board and every police department would be required to institute similar policies.
