LEGISLATIVE FISCAL ESTIMATE

[First Reprint]

SENATE, No. 2789

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

 

DATED: MARCH 4, 2026

 

 

SUMMARY

 

Synopsis:

Requires law enforcement officers to have updated photograph.

Type of Impact:

Annual State and local expenditure increases.

Agencies Affected:

Department of Law and Public Safety; Department of Corrections; New Jersey Transit; County and Municipal Correctional, Humane, Law Enforcement, and Parole Agencies; and College Campus Law Enforcement.

 

Office of Legislative Services Estimate

Fiscal Impact

Annual

 

State Expenditure Increase

Indeterminate

 

Local Expenditure Increase

Indeterminate

 

 

·         The Office of Legislative Services (OLS) estimates this bill would result in an indeterminate, likely modest increase in State and local expenditures. The OLS lacks sufficient information on the current frequency of certain personnel identification updates, employee data, and the cost of the photos needed for personnel files or identification issued to quantify the bill’s fiscal impact.

 

·         The bill requires the Office of the Attorney General, in consultation with the Superintendent of State Police, to establish guidelines regarding maintaining updated photographs of certain law enforcement personnel. Depending on the office’s resource allocation policies, the added workload may or may not augment State administrative expenditures.

 

 

BILL DESCRIPTION

 

      This bill requires all law enforcement officers to have a digital photograph taken and updated every three years.

      Under the bill, certain law enforcement officers are required to have their photograph taken every three years for their personnel file and any photographic identification card issued by the agency employing the law enforcement officer. Pursuant to P.L.1961, c.56, "law enforcement officer" includes any person who is employed as a sworn member of any State, county, or municipal law enforcement agency, department, division, or instrumentality of those governments who is statutorily empowered to act for the detection, investigation, arrest, conviction, detention, or rehabilitation of persons violating the criminal laws of the State. This includes sworn State, county or municipal law enforcement officers, State and county correctional police officers, State Parole officers, special law enforcement officers of all classes, county or municipal humane law enforcement officers, New Jersey Transit police officers, campus police officers, and those officers employed by the Division of Criminal Justice and the Juvenile Justice Commission.

      The Attorney General, in consultation with the Superintendent of State Police, is required to establish guidelines for the purposes of effectuating this bill.

 

 

FISCAL ANALYSIS

 

 

EXECUTIVE BRANCH

 

      None received.

 

OFFICE OF LEGISLATIVE SERVICES

 

      The OLS estimates this bill would result in an indeterminate, likely modest increase in State

and local expenditures.

      The bill requires the Office of the Attorney General, in consultation with the Superintendent of State Police, to establish guidelines regarding maintaining updated photographs of certain law enforcement personnel. Depending on the office’s resource allocation policies, the added workload may or may not augment State administrative expenditures.

      The bill requires all law enforcement officers who are statutorily empowered to act for the detection, investigation, arrest, conviction, detention, or rehabilitation of persons violating the criminal laws of the State to have an updated photograph on file. The OLS lacks sufficient information on the current frequency of certain personnel identification updates, the number of employees, and the cost of the photos needed for personnel files or identification issued to quantify the bill’s fiscal impact.

 

 

Section:

Law and Public Safety

Analyst:

Kristin Brunner Santos

Lead Fiscal Analyst

Approved:

Thomas Koenig

Legislative Budget and Finance Officer

 

 

This legislative fiscal estimate has been produced by the Office of Legislative Services due to the failure of the Executive Branch to respond to our request for a fiscal note.

 

This fiscal estimate has been prepared pursuant to P.L.1980, c.67 (C.52:13B-6 et seq.).