Requires each county and municipality to adopt anti-sexual harassment policy.

A4142

ASSEMBLY, No. 4142

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

INTRODUCED FEBRUARY 19, 2026

Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman� CAROL A. MURPHY

District 7 (Burlington)

Assemblywoman� ANNETTE QUIJANO

District 20 (Union)

SYNOPSIS

���� Requires each county and municipality to adopt
anti-sexual harassment policy.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� As introduced.

��

An Act

requiring each county and municipality to adopt
an anti-sexual harassment policy and supplementing chapter 9 of Title 40A of
the New Jersey Statutes.

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

���� 1.��� a.�� The Director of the
Division of Local Government Services in the Department of Community Affairs,
in consultation with the Director of the Division on Civil Rights in the
Department of Law and Public Safety, shall, on or before the first day of the
sixth month next following the effective date of
P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending
before the Legislature as this bill), promulgate regulations pursuant to the
provisions of the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L. 1968, c.410
(C.52:14B-1 et seq.) establishing an anti-sexual harassment
policy for use by local units.

���� b.��� The policy shall
include, at a minimum, provisions that:

���� (1)�� define sexual harassment
consistent with the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
guidelines;

���� (2)�� provide that an act of
sexual harassment is a violation of the policy;

���� (3)�� require that the policy
apply to all officers and employees of the local unit, as well as any
third-parties who have or conduct business with the local unit;

���� (4)�� establish procedures for
filing and investigating complaints regarding allegations of sexual harassment;

���� (5)�� provide for the
confidentiality, to the extent practicable, of sexual harassment complaints and
investigations;

���� (6)�� prohibit retaliation
because of a good-faith filing of a complaint or participation in the
investigation of a complaint; and

���� (7)�� establish appropriate
disciplinary measures for any violations of the policy determined by an
investigation.

���� c.���� Except as provided by
subsection d. of this section, the governing body of each local unit shall
adopt the anti-sexual harassment policy established pursuant to subsection a.
of this section no later than 90 days after the promulgation of the regulations
establishing the policy.

���� d.��� The governing body of a
local unit may, in lieu of adopting the anti-sexual harassment policy pursuant
to subsection c. of this section, submit a proposed anti-sexual harassment
policy to the Director of the Division of Local Government Services in the
Department of Community Affairs no later than 90 days after the promulgation of
the regulations establishing the policy.� If the director determines a proposed
policy is consistent with the policy established by subsection a. of this
section, the director shall approve the policy and the governing body of the
local unit shall adopt its proposed policy.� If the director determines a
proposed policy is inconsistent with the policy established by subsection a. of
this section, the director shall either conditionally approve the policy upon
the adoption of amendments identified by the director or reject the policy.� If
the governing body of a local unit fails to adopt amendments required by the
director within 30 days of receipt thereof or a proposed policy is rejected by
the director, the governing body shall forthwith adopt the policy established
by subsection a. of this section.

���� e.���� Any policy adopted
pursuant to this section shall not prevent an individual from reporting or filing
a complaint of alleged sexual harassment directly with any court or external
agency instead of, or in addition to, utilizing the procedures of the policy.

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

STATEMENT

���� This bill would ensure that
all counties and municipalities have an anti-sexual harassment policy in
effect.� The bill would require that each county or municipality adopt either an
anti-sexual harassment policy established by the Director of the Division of
Local Government Services in the Department of Community Affairs (DLGS), in
consultation with the Director of the Division on Civil Rights in the
Department of Law and Public Safety, or its own policy approved by the Director
of DLGS.� This bill would ensure that every county and municipality in the
State has a policy in place to safeguard its officers and employees from sexual
harassment.

���� The Director of DLGS would
have to adopt an anti-sexual harassment policy that meets the minimum
requirements of the bill by the first day of the sixth month next following the
bill�s enactment.� Each county and municipality would then have 90 days from
the promulgation of that policy to either adopt that policy or submit its own
policy for approval by the Director of DLGS.�