Bill Text: NJ S1804 | 2024-2025 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Requires certain background investigation for candidate for law enforcement position.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-01-09 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Law and Public Safety Committee [S1804 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2024-S1804-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
221st LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2024 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Senator ANGELA V. MCKNIGHT
District 31 (Hudson)
SYNOPSIS
Requires certain background investigation for candidate for law enforcement position.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Act concerning law enforcement officers and supplementing Title 52 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. Notwithstanding any provisions of law to the contrary and in addition to any background check currently conducted by a law enforcement agency, every candidate for a law enforcement position with a State, county, or municipal law enforcement agency shall undergo a background investigation which shall include, but not be limited to, a comprehensive evaluation of the following areas:
(1) review of personal data and citizenship information, including an applicant's birth certificate, voter registration, citizenship or naturalization papers, and the presence of tattoos, brands, or other body art, dermal piercing and scarification;
(2) interviews of an applicant's spouse, partner, dependents, relatives, associates, and friends;
(3) review of an applicant's current and past residences, temporary or permanent, and interviews with landlords, roommates, and neighbors;
(4) review of an applicant's high school and college grades, achievements, extracurricular activities and programs, history of absenteeism or tardiness, and disciplinary history;
(5) review of an applicant's military service, if any, including branch of service, service records, and discharge;
(6) review of an applicant's employment and work history, including interviews of current and former employers, discipline, terminations, and unemployment records;
(7) review of an applicant's financial status, including assets, debts, reported income, liens, civil judgments, and liabilities;
(8) review of an applicant's fraternal, societal, and workplace affiliations such as clubs, social networking sites, fraternities, sororities, and charitable and volunteer organizations;
(9) review of an applicant's adult and juvenile criminal history including arrests, convictions, or pretrial intervention for State, county, or local crimes or other offenses, whether or not expunged; and
(10) review of an applicant's motor vehicle history, including accidents, driving records, summonses, surcharges, license revocations, failures to appear in court, warrants, vehicle ownership information, and insurance information.
b. An applicant who
demonstrates derogatory conduct that conflicts with the expectations of a law
enforcement position or intentionally provides false information shall be
disqualified from employment with the law enforcement agency.
2. This act shall take effect on the first day of the sixth month after enactment.
STATEMENT
This bill requires a background investigation to be conducted for every candidate for a law enforcement position with a State, county, or municipal law enforcement agency.
Under the provisions of this bill, in addition to any background check currently conducted by a law enforcement agency, every candidate for a law enforcement position with a State, county, or municipal law enforcement agency is required to undergo a background investigation which is to include, but not be limited to, a comprehensive evaluation of the following areas:
1) review of personal data and citizenship information, including an applicant's birth certificate, voter registration, citizenship or naturalization papers, and the presence of tattoos, brands, or other body art, dermal piercing and scarification;
2) interviews of an applicant's spouse, partner, dependents, relatives, associates, and friends;
3) review of an applicant's current and past residences, temporary or permanent, and interviews with landlords, roommates, and neighbors;
4) review of an applicant's high school and college grades, achievements, extracurricular activities and programs, history of absenteeism or tardiness, and disciplinary history;
5) review of an applicant's military service, if any, including branch of service, service records, and discharge;
6) review of an applicant's employment and work history, including interviews of current and former employers, discipline, terminations, and unemployment records;
7) review of an applicant's financial status, including assets, debts, reported income, liens, civil judgments, and liabilities;
8) review of an applicant's fraternal, societal, and workplace affiliations such as clubs, social networking sites, fraternities, sororities, and charitable and volunteer organizations;
9) review of an applicant's adult and juvenile criminal history including arrests, convictions, or pretrial intervention for State, county, or local crimes or other offenses, whether or not expunged; and
10) review of an applicant's
motor vehicle history, including accidents, driving records, summonses,
surcharges, license revocations, failures to appear in court, warrants, vehicle
ownership information, and insurance information.
In addition, the bill provides that an applicant who demonstrates derogatory conduct that conflicts with the expectations of a law enforcement position or intentionally provides false information is to be disqualified from employment with the law enforcement agency.
