SENATE LAW AND PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

SENATE, No. 2742

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  JUNE 13, 2022

      The Senate Law and Public Safety Committee reports favorably Senate Bill No. 2742.

      As reported by the committee, this bill concerns the licensing of law enforcement officers and appropriates $6 million.

     Under the provisions of this bill, a person is not to be employed as a law enforcement officer in this State unless the person holds a valid, active license issued in accordance with the bill’s provisions. 

     The Police Training Commission (PTC) is required to establish the process by which law enforcement officers are to be licensed and implement that process.  Under the bill, the membership of the PTC is expanded to include two additional public members and a member of the State Troopers Fraternal Association of New Jersey.

     The bill provides that the PTC is vested with the power, responsibility, and duty to prescribe minimum standards for the licensure for law enforcement officers; establish a licensure application process for law enforcement officers and establish and implement procedures and criteria for license renewal, suspension, revocation, or denial; and to perform, through the licensing committee, certain activities related to law enforcement officer licensing. 

     Under the bill, the PTC is to establish a licensing committee to assist it in exercising the authority provided under the bill, including but not limited to, making recommendations for licensure to be considered by the full commission.  The membership of the licensing committee is to include the Attorney General’s designee and at least one public member.

     The bill sets forth specific requirements for initial licensure. A license issued under the bill expires three years after its date of issuance, before which time the law enforcement officer is required to apply for a license renewal. 

     A law enforcement officer that is required to renew the officer’s license is to submit an application through the officer’s employing law enforcement unit to the PTC.  The law enforcement officer and the chief of the employing law enforcement unit are required to certify that the officer meets certain requirements.

     The employing law enforcement unit is required to notify the PTC of certain employment actions regarding a law enforcement officer.           Under the bill, the PTC has the authority to suspend, revoke, place conditions upon, or deny a law enforcement officer license or place conditions on the renewal of a license under certain circumstances.

     The bill provides that the PTC is required to revoke or deny a license whenever a law enforcement officer or applicant is convicted of a crime, an act of domestic violence, or an offense that would preclude the officer or applicant from carrying a firearm.  In all other instances the law enforcement officer is entitled to a hearing.  Under the bill, decisions of the PTC are final agency decisions subject to appeal to the Superior Court.

     In addition, the bill provides that the commission may establish or prescribe fees for training or other services provided by the PTC.  However, current law enforcement officers are not to be charged application or licensing fees when applying for a license.

     Finally, the bill appropriates $6 million from the General Fund to the Department of Law and Public Safety to carry out the bill’s purposes.