SENATE LAW AND PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

SENATE, No. 419

with committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  JULY 28, 2020

      The Senate Law and Public Safety Committee reports favorably and with committee amendments Senate Bill No. 419.

      As amended and reported by the committee, this bill requires law enforcement agencies to provide cultural diversity training to its law enforcement officers and develop a cultural diversity action plan. 

      Current law authorizes State, county, and municipal law enforcement agencies to provide to their officers in-service cultural diversity training that utilizes course materials and an on-line tutorial developed or identified by the Department of Law and Public Safety.  This bill makes this cultural diversity training mandatory.   

      The bill also requires these law enforcement agencies to develop and adopt a cultural diversity action plan. The plans are to include strategies for outreach programs that address the social needs and concerns regarding crime in the community.  The plans also are to include strategies to form partnerships with various cultural, religious, and civic organizations, including those formed on the basis of preventing discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation. A primary objective of each plan is to emphasize positive relationships between the police and various community groups that encourage a willingness to collaborate in identifying community safety issues and establishing innovative strategies designed to create safe and stable neighborhoods and campuses.

      The bill requires law enforcement agencies to submit the plans to the Attorney General within one year of the bill’s effective date and at least once every three years thereafter. The bill also authorizes the Attorney General to periodically assess the plans to determine whether each agency is meeting its goals in providing the in-service training and formulating the cultural diversity action plans. 

      This bill was pre-filed for introduction in the 2020-2021 session pending technical review.  As reported, the bill includes the changes required by technical review, which has been performed. 

COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS: 

      The committee made a technical amendment to the bill.