Concerns AG guidelines on bias incident investigation standards.

A1375

ASSEMBLY, No. 1375

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman ELLEN J. PARK

District 37 (Bergen)

Assemblywoman ANNETTE QUIJANO

District 20 (Union)

Assemblyman AL ABDELAZIZ

District 35 (Bergen and Passaic)

Co-Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman Peterpaul, Assemblyman Rodriguez,
Assemblywomen Donlon and Bagolie

SYNOPSIS

���� Concerns AG guidelines on bias incident investigation
standards.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

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

��

An Act

concerning bias incident investigation standards and supplementing Title 52 of
the Revised Statutes.

����
Be It Enacted

by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

���� 1.��� a.� As used in this
section, �bias incident� means any suspected or confirmed violation of
paragraph (1) or (2) of subsection a. of section 1 of P.L.2001, c.443
(C.2C:16-1).

���� b.��� The Attorney General
shall maintain and periodically review the guidelines on bias incident
investigation standards, and revise the guidelines as need may require.

���� c.���� The guidelines on bias
incident investigation standards shall, at a minimum:

���� (1) require county and
municipal law enforcement agencies to report all confirmed or suspected bias
incidents through the Electronic Uniform Crime Reporting system as soon as
practicable, but not more than 24 hours after the initial law enforcement response;

���� (2) require county and
municipal law enforcement agencies to immediately notify the Attorney General
and the county prosecutor when the suspected or confirmed bias incident
involves circumstances to be determined by the Attorney General, which may
include, but not be limited to: homicide, aggravated sexual assault, sexual
assault, aggravated assault, or arson; an organized hate group as the
perpetrator; or a potential to generate large-scale public unrest;

���� (3) require county prosecutors
to promptly notify the Attorney General when they intend to file an accusation
or seek an indictment alleging bias intimidation;

���� (4) set forth procedures for
the initial and follow-up investigations of a reported bias incident, including
the responsibilities of an investigator or a supervisor upon arrival at the
scene;

���� (5) establish criteria for law
enforcement officers to apply in confirming a bias incident;

���� (6) establish requirements for
providing instant notification, through means that the Attorney General deems
appropriate, to the Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness, the Division
of State Police, the Division of Criminal Justice, and the bias crime officers
of each county prosecutor�s office;

���� (7) ensure that a victim of a
bias incident receives appropriate information and referral to the Division on
Civil Rights when the incident involves a suspected or confirmed violation of
the �Law Against Discrimination,� P.L.1945, c.169 (C.10:5-1 et seq.); and� (8)
include provisions for appropriate training and continuing education for law
enforcement officers on detecting and reporting bias incidents and
investigating and prosecuting bias crimes.

���� d.��� The Attorney General
shall ensure that the chief or director of every county and municipal law
enforcement agency, every municipal and county prosecutor, and the
Superintendent of State Police are provided with prompt notice of any revisions
to the guidelines on bias incident investigation standards.

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

STATEMENT

���� This bill concerns the
Attorney General guidelines on bias incident investigation standards.

���� Under the bill, the Attorney
General is to maintain and periodically review the guidelines on bias incident
investigation standards and revise the guidelines as needed.

���� The bill requires the
guidelines to, at a minimum:

���� 1)��� require county and
municipal law enforcement agencies to report all confirmed or suspected bias
incidents through the Electronic Uniform Crime Reporting system as soon as
practicable, but not more than 24 hours after the initial law enforcement
response;

���� 2)��� require county and
municipal law enforcement agencies to immediately notify the Attorney General
and the county prosecutor when the suspected or confirmed bias incident
involves certain circumstances, as determined by the Attorney General;

���� 3)��� require county
prosecutors to promptly notify the Attorney General when they intend to file an
accusation or seek an indictment alleging bias intimidation;

���� 4)��� set forth procedures for
initial and follow-up investigations of a reported bias incident, including the
responsibilities of an investigator or a supervisor upon the arrival at the
scene;

���� 5)��� establish criteria for
law enforcement officers to apply in confirming a bias incident;

���� 6)��� establish requirements
for providing instant notification, through means that the Attorney General
deems appropriate, to the Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness, the
Division of State Police, the Division of Criminal Justice, and the bias crime officers
of each county prosecutor�s office;

���� 7)��� ensure that a victim of
a bias incident receives appropriate information and referral to the Division
on Civil Rights when the incident involves a suspected or confirmed violation
of the �Law Against Discrimination�; and

���� 8)��� include provisions for
training and continuing education for law enforcement officers on detecting and
reporting bias incidents and investigating and prosecuting bias crimes.

���� Finally, the bill requires the
Attorney General to ensure that the chief or director of every county and
municipal law enforcement agency, every municipal and county prosecutor, and
the Superintendent of State Police are provided with prompt notice of any
revisions to the guidelines on bias incident investigation standards.