ASSEMBLY OVERSIGHT, REFORM AND FEDERAL RELATIONS COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

ASSEMBLY, No. 2131

with committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  SEPTEMBER 29, 2022

      The Assembly Oversight, Reform and Federal Relations Committee reports favorably Assembly Bill No. 2131 with committee amendments.

      As amended, this bill provides that one or more police officers may be present at a senior residential center being used as a polling place or school if there is a request by the center or school.  The bill specifies that the officers must be in plain clothes.

      Under current law, police officers are permitted to be present at a senior residential center being used as a polling place.  The provision of current law that prohibits any such officer from interfering with any person present at the location for the purpose of voting will remain in place.

      The bill also requires the center notify the district board if the center requests a police officer, the district board then will notify the county board of elections or superintendent of elections who will notify the Secretary of State. 

      The bill requires the Secretary of the Department of Education and the Secretary of State to notify schools of the new mandate as soon as the bill becomes law.

      As amended, this bill is identical to Senate Bill No. 2912 (1R).

COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS

      The committee amended the bill to allow police presence at public schools being used as a polling place, and to require the public schools to tell the district board of the police officer’s presence at least seven days prior to the election, and indicate the duration of their presence.  The amendments require the schools to create a security plan to prevent voters from having access to students by January 1, 2023.  The Secretary of the Department of Education and the Secretary of State are required to notify schools of the mandate as soon as the bill is signed into law.

      The amendments make this bill identical to Senate Bill No. 2912 (1R).