Permits probationary or temporary appointment of law enforcement officer as State or county investigator under certain circumstances.

A1173

ASSEMBLY, No. 1173

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Assemblyman JOE DANIELSEN

District 17 (Middlesex and Somerset)

SYNOPSIS

���� Permits probationary or temporary appointment of law
enforcement officer as State or county investigator under certain
circumstances.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative
Counsel.

��

An Act
concerning law enforcement investigators and
amending P.L.1961, c.56 and P.L.2022, c.65.�

����
Be It Enacted
by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New
Jersey:

���� 1.��� Section 4 of P.L.1961,
c.56 (C.52:17B-69) is amended to read as follows:�

���� 4.��� a.� A probationary or
temporary appointment as a law enforcement officer may be made for a total
period not exceeding one year for the purpose of enabling a person seeking
permanent appointment to take a police training course as prescribed in this
act, provided, however, that the time period may exceed one year for those
persons enrolled prior to the one-year limit in a police training course
scheduled to end subsequent to the one-year limit, and for those persons who,
prior to the one-year limit, have been scheduled to attend a police training
course which commences subsequent to the one-year limit.� In no case shall any
extension granted for the reasons herein listed exceed six months.� Every
person holding such a probationary or temporary appointment shall enroll in a
police training course, and such appointee shall be entitled to a leave of
absence with pay during the period of the police training course.

���� b.��� A person holding a
probationary or temporary appointment on the effective date of P.L.2022, c.65
(C.52:17B-71a et al.) shall not be permitted to continue in the probationary or
temporary appointment beyond one year after the effective date of P.L.2022, c.65
(C.52:17B-71a et al.) unless the person enrolls in or completes a basic
training course approved by the commission.

���� c.���� A person appointed on a
probationary or temporary basis on or after the effective date of P.L.2022,
c.65 (C.52:17B-71a et al.) shall not perform the functions or duties of a
permanently appointed law enforcement officer unless the person completes a
basic training course approved by the commission.� Upon successful completion
of the basic training course, a person appointed on a probationary or temporary
basis on or after the effective date of P.L.2022, c.65 (C.52:17B-71a et al.)
shall receive from the commission a one-year probationary law enforcement
license, as defined in section 2 of P.L.1961, c.56 (C.52:17B-67), and the
person shall be permitted to perform full police functions or duties during the
person's probationary or temporary appointment.

���� d.��� Upon successful
completion of a probationary or temporary appointment, a person may apply for
licensure as a permanent law enforcement officer in a manner prescribed by the
commission pursuant to P.L.2022, c.65 (C.52:17B-71a et al.).� The probationary
license shall remain in force and effect until the commission acts upon the
application for licensure as a permanent law enforcement officer.

����
e.���� A
permanent law enforcement officer licensed in a manner prescribed by the
commission pursuant to P.L.2022, c.65 (C.52:17B-71a et al.) who holds an active
certification in the basic training course for police officers or State Police
may receive a probationary or temporary appointment as a State or county
investigator for a total period not exceeding 120 days from the date of
appointment for the purpose of enabling the officer to be trained and certified
as a basic investigator.� A law enforcement officer holding a probationary or
temporary appointment shall be permitted to perform the functions or duties of
a permanently appointed investigator during the officer�s probationary or
temporary appointment.� Upon successful completion of a probationary or temporary
appointment, the law enforcement officer may apply for licensure as a permanent
investigator in a manner prescribed by the commission pursuant to P.L.2022,
c.65 (C.52:17B-71a et al.).� The probationary or temporary appointment shall
remain in force and effect until the commission acts upon the application for
licensure as a permanent investigator.

(cf: P.L.2022, c.65, s.4)

���� 2.��� Section 10 of P.L.2022,
c.65 (C.52:17B-67.1) is amended to read as follows:�

���� 10.� A person shall not be
employed as a law enforcement officer, as defined in section 2 of P.L.1961,
c.56 (C.52:17B-67), in this State unless the person holds a valid, active
license as a law enforcement officer issued in accordance with P.L.2022, c.65
(C.52:17B-71a et al.).�
A person shall not act as a law
enforcement officer, as defined in section 2 of P.L.1961, c.56 (C.52:17B-67),
in this State beyond the scope of the authorization provided pursuant to any
designations to the license approved by the Police Training Commission
,
except that a permanent law enforcement officer licensed in a manner prescribed
by the commission pursuant to P.L.2022, c.65 (C.52:17B-71a et al.) who holds an
active certification in the basic training course for police officers or State
Police shall be permitted to perform the functions or duties of a permanently
appointed State or county investigator for a period not to exceed 120 days from
the date of appointment while being trained and certified as a basic
investigator
.

(cf: P.L.2022, c.65, s.10)�

���� 3.��� This act shall take
effect immediately.

STATEMENT

���� This bill permits the
probationary or temporary appointment of a law enforcement officer as a State
or county investigator under certain circumstances.�

���� Under the bill, a permanent
law enforcement officer who holds an active certification in the basic training
course for police officers or State police may receive a probationary or
temporary appointment as a State or county investigator for a total period not
exceeding 120 days from the date of appointment for the purpose of enabling the
officer to be trained and certified as a basic investigator.� The bill authorizes
the law enforcement officer to perform the functions or duties of a permanently
appointed investigator during the officer�s probationary or temporary
appointment.�

���� Upon successful completion of
a probationary or temporary appointment, the bill provides that the law
enforcement officer may apply to the Police Training Commission for licensure
as a permanent investigator.� Under the bill, the probationary or temporary
appointment remains in force and effect until the commission acts upon the
application for licensure.�