Bill Text: NJ A4432 | 2020-2021 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Establishes public assembly safety awareness campaign.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-07-23 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Law and Public Safety Committee [A4432 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2020-A4432-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman RONALD S. DANCER
District 12 (Burlington, Middlesex, Monmouth and Ocean)
SYNOPSIS
Establishes public assembly safety public awareness campaign.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act establishing a public assembly safety public awareness campaign and supplementing Title 2C of the New Jersey Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. The Attorney General shall take appropriate steps to promote public awareness of safely engaging in demonstrations, protests, and other forms of public assembly in order to reduce the risk of harm to those assembled and other persons in the community, including:
a. providing printed educational materials and public service announcements:
(1) concerning the process for obtaining permits for public assemblies, in order for law enforcement agencies to work with members of the public to ensure the safety of everyone involved;
(2) concerning information about the dangers of obstruction of traffic and impeding the ability of first responders to respond to emergencies, at the public assembly and elsewhere in the community; and
(3) concerning the provisions of N.J.S.2C:33-1, N.J.S.2C:33-2, and N.J.S.2C:33-7;
b. distributing the printed educational materials required pursuant to subsection a. of this subsection to municipalities for distribution to the public, through entities, including, but not limited to, police departments, libraries, community centers, and other community-based organizations;
c. making the educational materials available on the Internet website of the Department of Law and Public Safety, and the individual websites or pages of any appropriate division thereof, including, but not limited to, the website of the Division of State Police; and
d. urging county sheriffs, county prosecutors, and the chiefs of police of county and municipal police departments to make the educational materials available on their respective Internet websites or to link to a State website containing the materials.
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill requires the Attorney General to establish a public awareness campaign to promote public awareness of safely engaging in demonstrations, protests, and other forms of public assembly in order to reduce the risk of harm to those assembled and other persons in the community.
Under the bill, the campaign would be required to include printed educational materials and public service announcements:
(1) concerning the process for obtaining permits for public assemblies, in order for law enforcement agencies to work with members of the public to ensure the safety of everyone involved;
(2) concerning information about the dangers of obstruction of traffic and impeding the ability of first responders to respond to emergencies, at the public assembly and elsewhere in the community; and
(3) concerning the current provisions of law related to rioting, failure to disperse, disorderly conduct, and obstructing highways and other public passages.
The bill requires the Attorney General to distribute the materials to municipalities for distribution to the public, through entities, including, but not limited to, police departments, libraries, community centers, and other community-based organizations. Additionally, the bill requires the Attorney General to make the materials available on the website of the Department of Law and Public Safety, and the individual websites or pages of any of its divisions, including, but not limited to the website of the State Police. The bill further requires the Attorney General to urge county sheriffs, county prosecutors, and the chiefs of police of county and municipal police departments to make the materials available on their respective websites or to link to a State website containing the materials.
