Bill Text: NJ A894 | 2022-2023 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Requires law enforcement officers in State to annually pass physical fitness examination; appropriates $500,000.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2022-01-11 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Law and Public Safety Committee [A894 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2022-A894-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
220th LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2022 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman BRIAN BERGEN
District 25 (Morris and Somerset)
SYNOPSIS
Requires law enforcement officers in State to annually pass physical fitness examination; appropriates $500,000.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Act concerning law enforcement officer physical fitness requirements, supplementing Title 52 of the Revised Statutes, and making an appropriation.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Each law enforcement officer in the State who is statutorily empowered to act for the detection, investigation, arrest, conviction, detention, or rehabilitation of persons violating the criminal laws of this State and statutorily required to successfully complete a training course approved by, or certified as being substantially equivalent to such an approved course, by the Police Training Commission pursuant to P.L.1961, c.56 (C.52:17B-66 et seq.) shall be required to annually pass a physical fitness examination administered pursuant to section 2 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).
2. a. The Police Training Commission in the Department of Law and Public Safety, in consultation with the Attorney General and the Director of the Division of Criminal Justice in the Department of Law and Public Safety, shall develop and approve minimum physical fitness testing standards to be administered annually, in accordance with an officer's age and gender, as required pursuant to section 1 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill). The physical fitness testing standards shall be reviewed at least every two years and modified from time to time as need may require.
b. The Police Training Commission shall issue a recommendation to the employer of any law enforcement officer who fails the annual physical fitness examination regarding disciplinary actions to be taken against the officer including, but not limited to, demotion or termination.
c. The Police Training Commission shall adopt rules and regulations, pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), to effectuate the purposes of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).
3. There is appropriated $500,000 from the General Fund to the Police Training Commission in the Department of Law and Public Safety to effectuate the provisions of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).
4. Sections 2 and 3 of this
act shall take effect immediately and section 1 of this act shall take effect
on the first day of the 13th month next following the date of enactment.
STATEMENT
This bill requires law enforcement officers in this State to annually pass a physical fitness examination.
Law enforcement officers in this State currently are required to meet certain physical fitness testing requirements as part of the Police Training Commission's basic training. A trainee who does not meet the minimum physical fitness testing requirements is dismissed from the training academy.
This bill requires all full-time, part-time, permanent, and temporary law enforcement officers in the State who are empowered to enforce, act for the detection, investigation, arrest, conviction, and detention of the State's criminal laws, and who are required to complete a training course approved by the Police Training Commission to annually pass a physical fitness examination.
Under the bill, the Police Training Commission, in consultation with the Attorney General and the Director of the Division of Criminal Justice in the Department of Law and Public Safety, is required to develop and approve, in accordance with an officer's age and gender, minimum physical fitness testing standards for the annual exam. These physical conditioning testing standards are to be reviewed at least every two years and modified as necessary.
The provisions of the bill also require the Police Training Commission to issue a recommendation to the employer of any officer who fails the annual physical fitness examination regarding disciplinary actions to be taken against the officer including, but not limited to, demotion or termination. The Police Training Commission also is required to adopt rules and regulations necessary to implement the provisions of the bill which also shall address the consequences of an officer's failure to pass a physical fitness exam including, but not limited to, demotion or termination.
Finally, the bill appropriates $500,000 from the General Fund to the Police Training Commission to effectuate the provisions of the bill.
