Provides that law enforcement officers appointed by educational institutions, NJT, and Burlington County Bridge Commission are entitled to certain statutory rights and privileges.

A4195

ASSEMBLY, No. 4195

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

INTRODUCED FEBRUARY 19, 2026

Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman� CAROL A. MURPHY

District 7 (Burlington)

SYNOPSIS

���� Provides that law enforcement officers appointed by
educational institutions, NJT, and Burlington County Bridge Commission are
entitled to certain statutory rights and privileges.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� As introduced.

��

An Act
concerning law enforcement and amending
P.L.1960,
c.168, P.L.1970, c.211, and P.L.1989, c.291

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

���� 1.��� Section 1 of P.L.1970,
c. 211 (C.18A:6-4.2) is amended to read as follows:�

���� The governing body of any
institution of higher education, academy, school or other institution of
learning may appoint such persons as the governing body� may designate to act
as
[
policemen
]

law
enforcement officers
for the institution.�
A law enforcement officer
appointed pursuant to this section shall be entitled to the rights and
privileges afforded to municipal law enforcement officers pursuant to the provisions
of chapter 14 of Title 40A of the New Jersey Statutes.

(cf: P.L.1970, c.211, s.1)�

���� 2.��� Section 2 of P.L.1989,
c.291 (C.27:25-15.1) is amended to read as follows:

���� 2.��� a.�� There is
established in the New Jersey Transit Corporation a New Jersey Transit Police
Department, which shall be headed by a chief of police. This police department
shall have police and security responsibilities over all locations and services
owned, operated, or managed by the corporation and its subsidiaries.� The
executive director of the New Jersey Transit Corporation, through the chief of
police of the New Jersey Transit Police Department, shall have the power and
authority to appoint and employ such number of transit police officers as he
deems necessary to act as transit police officers of the corporation and to
administer to the transit police officers an oath or affirmation faithfully to
perform the duties of their respective positions or offices.� The transit
police officers so appointed shall have general authority, without limitation,
to exercise police powers and duties, as provided by law for police officers
and law enforcement officers, in all criminal and traffic matters at all times
throughout the State and, in addition, to enforce such rules and regulations as
the corporation shall adopt and deem appropriate.� Nothing herein shall confer
upon the transit police officers so appointed or upon their collective
negotiations representative, exclusive jurisdiction or claim over the exercise
of police power or security work on behalf of the corporation or any of its
subsidiaries.� Nothing herein shall limit the executive director from
continuing to call upon local police for police services.� The members of the
New Jersey TransitPolice Department shall comply with all policies established
by the Attorney General, including rules and regulations, directives, advisory
opinions, and other guidelines, unless those policies are inconsistent with
federal laws, regulations, directives, advisory opinions, or other guidelines
relating to drug and alcohol testing, alcohol misuse, or prohibited drug use
applicable to the New Jersey Transit Police Department.�
Transit police
officers appointed pursuant to this section shall be entitled to the rights and
privileges afforded to municipal law enforcement officers pursuant to the provisions
of chapter 14 of Title 40A of the New Jersey Statutes.

���� The executive director,
through the chief of police of the New Jersey Transit Police Department, shall,
in accordance with procedures established by the Superintendent of State
Police, investigate and determine the character, competency, integrity and fitness
of any person making application for appointment as a police officer.� The New
Jersey Transit Police Department is authorized to exchange fingerprint data and
receive criminal history record information from the State Bureau of
Identification in the Division of State Police and the Federal Bureau of
Investigation, Identification Division, for use in making this determination.�

���� b.��� Rail police officers of
the New Jersey Transit Rail Operations Police Department who are employed by
the corporation on the effective date of this 1991 amendatory and supplementary
act shall continue in employment, and shall be appointed as transit police
officers of the corporation.� The corporation shall recognize any
representative previously chosen by these police officers for the purposes of
collective negotiations consistent with the bargaining units already
established.� The corporation shall also assume and observe any existing labor
contracts covering these police officers for their remaining term; provided
however, that the terms and conditions of these labor contracts are within the
scope of negotiations as defined by the Public Employment Relations Commission
under the "New Jersey Employer-Employee Relations Act," P.L.1941,
c.100 (C.34:13A-1 et seq.).�

���� c.���� Transit police officers
appointed pursuant to this section shall satisfy the training requirements
established by the Police Training Commission as follows:�

���� (1)�� All officers appointed
pursuant to this section after the effective date of this 1989 amendatory and
supplementary act shall successfully complete, within one year of the date of
their appointment, a training course approved by the Police Training Commission;�

���� (2)�� All officers appointed
and in employment on the effective date of this 1989 amendatory and
supplementary act may continue in employment if, within 18 months of the
effective date of this 1991 amendatory and supplementary act, they have
satisfied the training requirements of the Police Training Commission;�

���� (3)�� The executive director,
through the chief of police of the New Jersey Transit Police Department, may
request from the Police Training Commission an exemption from all or part of
the training requirements of this subsection on behalf of a current or prospective
officer who demonstrates successful completion of a police training course
conducted by any federal, state or other public or private agency, the
requirements of which are substantially equivalent to the requirements of the
Police Training Commission.�

���� d.��� Transit police officers
shall qualify for an exemption from the provisions of N.J.S.2C:39-5 if they
satisfactorily complete a firearms training course approved by the Police
Training Commission.

(cf: P.L.2018, c.162, s.15)�

���� 3.��� Section 1 of P.L.1960,
c.168 (C.27:19-36.3) is amended to read as follows:

���� Notwithstanding any of the
provisions of the article of which this act is a� supplement, any county bridge
commission created pursuant to said article may appoint policemen and all
policemen so appointed are hereby authorized and� empowered to make arrests on
view and without warrant on Sunday or any other day for crimes, misdemeanors
and offenses of any character, or for disorder or breach of the peace or
violations of any rules and regulations adopted by such� county bridge
commissions, committed within the jurisdiction of this State on� any bridge
owned by or under the control of such county bridge commission, or� at the
approaches thereof, or on any other property owned by or under the� control of
such commission.� In addition, such policemen shall have all the� powers
conferred by law on police officers or constables in the enforcement of� laws
in this State and the apprehension of violators.

���� Any person so arrested shall
be conducted by the officer to a municipal magistrate of the political
subdivision in which the arrest is made or, if there is no such available
magistrate, to the nearest available magistrate in any other political
subdivision.

���� Any policeman may, instead of
arresting an offender as herein provided, serve upon him a summons.

����
Burlington County Bridge police officers appointed by
the Burlington County Bridge Commission pursuant to this section shall be
entitled to the rights and privileges afforded to municipal law enforcement
officers pursuant to the provisions of chapter 14 of Title 40A of the New
Jersey Statutes.

(cf: P.L.1960, c.168, s.1)

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

STATEMENT

���� This bill clarifies that law
enforcement officers appointed by an educational institution, the New Jersey
Transit Corporation, and the Burlington County Bridge Commission are entitled
to the rights and privileges afforded to municipal law enforcement officers
pursuant to the applicable provisions of chapter 14 of Title 40A of the New
Jersey Statutes.�

���� The provisions of chapter 14
of Title 40A of the New Jersey Statutes, in part, govern municipal law
enforcement officers.� This bill clarifies that law enforcement officers
appointed by educational institutions, the New Jersey Transit Corporation, and
the Burlington County Bridge Commission also are entitled to the rights and
privileges afforded to municipal law enforcement officers.