Bill Text: NJ S2937 | 2024-2025 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Requires definitions of Antisemitism and Islamophobia be included in State's diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging policies, and in any such policy for recipients of State's funds.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Introduced) 2024-06-20 - Reported from Senate Committee with Amendments, 2nd Reading [S2937 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2024-S2937-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Senator JAMES BEACH
District 6 (Burlington and Camden)
Senator GORDON M. JOHNSON
District 37 (Bergen)
SYNOPSIS
Requires definitions of Antisemitism and Islamophobia be included in State's diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging policies, and in any such policy for recipients of State funds.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning the inclusion of Antisemitism and Islamophobia definitions in this State's diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging policies 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. The Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging established in the Office of the Governor pursuant to Executive Order No. 265 of 2021, in undertaking the duties of this office with regard to policies concerning diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, shall ensure that all State agencies, personnel, and recipients of State funds incorporate the following in their respective policies:
(1) the working definition of Antisemitism adopted on May 26, 2016 by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA), and the "Contemporary Examples of Antisemitism" identified by the IHRA, to the extent the examples are useful for this purpose; and
(2) the working definition of Islamophobia adopted by the United Nations (UN), and any examples and guidelines identified by the UN, to the extent the examples and guidelines are useful for this purpose.
b. The requirements of subsection a. of this section concerning the incorporation of working definitions of Antisemitism and Islamophobia in diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging policies, shall be applicable to all such policies issued by State agencies and recipients of State funds.
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill requires definitions of Antisemitism and Islamophobia to be incorporated in this State's diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging policies, and in any such policy applicable to recipients of State funds.
The bill directs the Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging, established in the Office of the Governor pursuant to Executive Order No. 265 of 2021, to ensure that those definitions are incorporated in the policies of State agencies, personnel, and recipients of State funds concerning diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. Specifically, the bill requires the inclusion of the following:
(1) the working definition of Antisemitism adopted on May 26, 2016 by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA), and the "Contemporary Examples of Antisemitism" identified by the IHRA, to the extent they are useful for this purpose; and
(2) the working definition of Islamophobia adopted by the United Nations (UN), and any examples and guidelines identified by the UN, to the extent they are useful for this purpose.
The requirements for the inclusion of these definitions of Antisemitism and Islamophobia, and their consideration in diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging policies, would be applicable to all such policies issued by State agencies and recipients of State funds.
The IHRA's working definition provides that "Antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities." The UN's working definition provides that "Islamophobia is a fear, prejudice and hatred of Muslims that leads to provocation, hostility and intolerance by means of threatening, harassment, abuse, incitement and intimidation of Muslims and non-Muslims, both in the online and offline world. Motivated by institutional, ideological, political and religious hostility that transcends into structural and cultural racism, it targets the symbols and markers of being a Muslim."
