Sponsored by:
Senator JOSEPH A. LAGANA
District 38 (Bergen and Passaic)
Senator VIN GOPAL
District 11 (Monmouth)
SYNOPSIS
Directs AOC to establish implicit bias training for judges and judicial personnel.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning certain training and supplementing Title 2B of the New Jersey Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. The Administrative Office of the Courts shall develop and approve an evidence-based training program on implicit bias. This training course shall be reviewed at least every two years and modified by the Administrative Office of the Courts from time to time as need may require.
b. The Administrative Director of the Courts shall be responsible for ensuring that all judges and judicial personnel attend initial training within 90 days of appointment or transfer and annual inservice training as described in this section.
“Implicit bias” means a bias in judgment or behavior that results from subtle cognitive processes, including implicit prejudice and implicit stereotypes, that often operate at a level below conscious awareness and without intentional control.
“Implicit stereotypes” means the unconscious attributions of particular qualities to a member of a certain social group, influenced by experience, and based on learned associations between various qualities and social categories, including race and gender.
2. This act shall take effect on the 60th day after enactment.
STATEMENT
This bill would direct the Administrative Office of the Courts to establish an evidence-based training program on implicit bias. This training course would be reviewed at least every two years and modified by the Administrative Office of the Courts from time to time as need may require.
The Administrative Director of the Courts would be responsible for ensuring that all judges and judicial personnel attend initial training within 90 days of appointment or transfer and annual inservice training.
The bill defines “implicit bias” as a bias in judgment or behavior that results from subtle cognitive processes, including implicit prejudice and implicit stereotypes, that often operate at a level below conscious awareness and without intentional control. In addition, “implicit stereotypes” is defined as the unconscious attributions of particular qualities to a member of a certain social group, influenced by experience, and based on learned associations between various qualities and social categories, including race and gender.