Bill Text: NJ S1256 | 2010-2011 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Empowers federal air marshals to make arrests for certain violations of New Jersey law.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2010-02-08 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Law and Public Safety Committee [S1256 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2010-S1256-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Senator FRED H. MADDEN, JR.
District 4 (Camden and Gloucester)
SYNOPSIS
Empowers federal air marshals to make arrests for certain violations of New Jersey law.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning certain federal law enforcement officers and amending P.L.1983, c.268.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Section 1 of P.L.1983, c.268 (C.2A:154-5) is amended to read as follows:
1. The following persons employed as full-time law enforcement officers by the Federal Government, who are empowered to effect an arrest with or without warrant for violations of the United States Code and who are authorized to carry firearms in the performance of their duties, shall be empowered to act as an officer for the arrest of offenders against the laws of this State where the person reasonably believes that a crime of the first, second or third degree is or is about to be committed or attempted in his presence:
Federal Bureau of Investigation special agents;
United States Secret Service special agents;
Immigration and Naturalization Service special agents, investigators and patrol officers;
United States Marshal Service deputies;
Drug Enforcement Administration special agents;
United States Postal inspectors;
United States Postal police officers while in the performance of
their official duties;
United States Customs Service special agents, inspectors and patrol officers;
United States General Services Administration special agents;
United States Department of Agriculture special agents;
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms special agents;
Internal Revenue Service special agents and inspectors;
Department of the Interior special agents, investigators, and park rangers;
Federal Reserve law enforcement officers while in the performance of their official duties; [and]
United States Department of Defense police officers.
Department of Homeland Security federal air marshals.
(cf: P.L.2008, c.42, s.2)
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill empowers United
States Department of Homeland
Security air marshals to make arrests in New Jersey for violations of State law
constituting crimes of the first, second or third degree.
The bill grants to federal air marshals the same arrest power that the State currently grants to Federal Bureau of Investigation special agents, United States Marshal Service deputies and certain other federal law enforcement personnel enumerated in P.L.1983, c.268 (C.2A:154-5).
Since September 11, 2001, the U.S. government has deployed thousands of federal air marshals to protect the nation's commercial aircraft. The requirements and qualifications of air marshals are among the most stringent of any federal law enforcement agency.
This bill would expand their law enforcement powers beyond aircraft and provide an additional law enforcement presence in the State's airports by permitting them to effectuate arrests for certain crimes.
