A1690 • 2026

Requires civil service examination for police and correctional police officers to include questions to identify implicit racial bias.

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Reynolds-Jackson, Verlina
Last action: 2026-01-13
Official status: Introduced, Referred to Assembly Public Safety and Preparedness Committee
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Requires civil service examination for police and correctional police officers to include questions to identify implicit racial bias.

What This Bill Does

Requires civil service examination for police and correctional police officers to include questions to identify implicit racial bias.
Topic: Public Safety and Preparedness Fiscal note: This bill has not been certified by OLS for a fiscal note.

Limits and Unknowns

This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

2026-01-13 New Jersey Legislature
Introduced, Referred to Assembly Public Safety and Preparedness Committee

Official Summary Text

Requires civil service examination for police and correctional police officers to include questions to identify implicit racial bias.
Topic:
Public Safety and Preparedness
Fiscal note:
This bill has not been certified by OLS for a fiscal note.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

A1690

ASSEMBLY, No. 1690

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman VERLINA REYNOLDS-JACKSON

District 15 (Hunterdon and Mercer)

SYNOPSIS

���� Requires civil service examination for police and
correctional police officers to include questions to identify implicit racial
bias.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

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

��

An Act

concerning the Civil Service Examination for law
enforcement officers and supplementing Title 11A of the New Jersey Statutes.

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

���� 1.��� The Civil Service
Commission, in consultation with the appropriate testing professional, shall
include on the Civil Service Examination for entry-level law enforcement
officers questions designed to identify implicit bias, including racial bias.�

���� 2.��� This act shall take
effect on the first day of the fourth month next following enactment, but the
Civil Service Commission may take any anticipatory administrative action
necessary to implement the provisions of this act.�

STATEMENT

���� This bill requires the State
Civil Service Commission to include on the Civil Service entry-level law
enforcement examination questions designed to identify implicit bias, including
racial bias, in candidates applying for appointment to law enforcement officer
positions.� The test is required for applicants for municipal and county police
officers, adult and juvenile correctional police officers, sheriff�s officers,
and other law enforcement officer positions.�

���� Implicit bias refers to
unconscious attitudes or stereotypes that affect our understanding, actions,
and decisions and may cause
feelings
and attitudes about other people based on characteristics such as race,
ethnicity, age, and appearance.