SENATE STATE GOVERNMENT, WAGERING, TOURISM & HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

SENATE, No. 2531

with committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  MARCH 18, 2024

      The Senate State Government, Wagering, Tourism & Historic Preservation Committee reports favorably and with committee amendments Senate Bill No. 2531.

As amended by the committee, 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.  This bill clarifies that the officers must be in plain clothes in both senior residential centers and schools.

     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.

     This 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. 

     This bill requires all schools serving as polling places to develop security plans to prevent voters from having access to or the ability to interact with students. The security plan would include a designated area in which voting must take place that must be locked and separate from the rest of the school if school is in session during the time an election is being held, provided the school has the ability to fulfil the mandate. This 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. Under the bill, as amended, the requirement for a security plan would take effect beginning for the first election occurring after the bill’s enactment, and for all elections thereafter.

COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS:

      The amendments provide that the requirement for school security plans would begin for the first election occurring after the date of enactment of this bill, and for all elections thereafter.