Requires Director of Division of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing in DHS to evaluate and report on interactions occurring between law enforcement and individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing.

A4203

ASSEMBLY, No. 4203

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

INTRODUCED FEBRUARY 19, 2026

Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman� CAROL A. MURPHY

District 7 (Burlington)

SYNOPSIS

���� Requires Director of Division of the Deaf and Hard of
Hearing in DHS to evaluate and report on interactions occurring between law
enforcement and individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� As introduced.

��

An Act

requiring
the
Director of the Division of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing in the Department of
Human Services to evaluate and report on the nature of interactions occurring
between law enforcement and individuals who are deaf and hard of hearing.

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

���� 1.��� a.� Within six months
after the enactment of this act, the Director of the Division of the Deaf and
Hard of Hearing in the Department of Human Services shall evaluate and report
on the approach that is used by law enforcement when interacting with individuals
who are deaf or hard of hearing.�

���� b.��� The evaluation conducted
pursuant to this section shall include a review of:�

���� (1)�� the existing laws,
rules, regulations, policies, procedures, practices, and protocols that govern
interactions between law enforcement and individuals who are deaf or hard of
hearing, including, but not limited to, the laws, rules, regulations, practices,
policies, procedures, and protocols that are used by law enforcement officers,
in their street-level interactions with citizens and offenders, to identify and
appropriately communicate with individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing; and
the laws, rules, regulations, practices, policies, procedures, and protocols
that are used by law enforcement officers when questioning, apprehending,
taking into custody, or incarcerating individuals who are deaf or hard of
hearing;

���� (2)�� the nature and extent of
training in sign language that is available to, or mandated for, law
enforcement officers in the State;

���� (3)�� the nature and extent of
training in de-escalation and crisis management that is available to, or
mandated for, law enforcement in the State, particularly in regard to the
de-escalation of situations involving individuals who are deaf or hard of
hearing;

���� (4)�� the availability and
responsiveness of qualified interpreters in law enforcement agencies and
offices, and in the field;

���� (5)�� the treatment received
by individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing while in the custody of law
enforcement;

���� (6)�� the nature, extent, and
manner of resolution of any civil, criminal, or administrative complaints that
have been filed by individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing, or by their
family members on their behalf, in relation to the individuals� interactions
with law enforcement; and

���� (7)�� any other subject
matters or data that may be deemed by the director to be relevant.

���� c.���� When conducting the
evaluation pursuant to this section, the director may consult with, and request
appropriate data and information from, the Department of Law and Public Safety,
any division thereof, and any State or local law enforcement agency or office,
as may be deemed to be necessary.� The Department of Law and Public Safety,
each division thereof, and each State or local law enforcement agency or office
shall promptly provide any data or information requested by the director for
the purposes of this section.

���� d.��� (1)� Upon completion of
the evaluation pursuant to this section, the director shall prepare a written
report that:� (a) describes the current nature of interactions occurring
between law enforcement and individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing; (b) identifies
existing laws, rules, regulations, policies, procedures, practices, and
protocols that govern interactions between law enforcement and individuals who
are deaf or hard of hearing; (c) highlights specific areas where interactions
between law enforcement and individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing can or
should be improved; and (d) provides recommendations for executive,
legislative, or administrative actions to be undertaken, or for policies,
procedures, practices, or protocols to be implemented, by the Governor, by the
Legislature, by the Department of Law and Public Safety, and by individual law
enforcement agencies and offices throughout the State, as may be necessary to
improve law enforcement officers� responsiveness to, ability to communicate
with, and overall treatment of, individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing.�

���� (2)�� The report prepared
pursuant to this subsection shall be:� (a) submitted to the Governor and,
pursuant to P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), to the Legislature; (b) distributed
to the Department of Law and Public Safety, and to every law enforcement agency
or office in the State; and (c) published on the Internet website of the
Department of Human Services.�

���� 2.��� This act shall take
effect immediately, and shall expire on the 30th day following the distribution
and publication of the report required by subsection d. of section 1 of this
act.

STATEMENT

���� This bill would require the
Director of the Division of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing in the Department of
Human Services, within six months after the bill�s enactment, to evaluate and
report on the interactions that are occurring between law enforcement and
individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing.

���� The evaluation would include a
review of:� 1) the existing laws, rules, regulations, policies, procedures,
practices, and protocols that govern interactions between law enforcement and
individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing; 2) the nature and extent of
training in sign language that is available to, or mandated for, law
enforcement officers in the State; 3) the nature and extent of training in
de-escalation and crisis management that is available to, or mandated for, law
enforcement in the State, particularly in regard to the de-escalation of
situations involving individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing; 4) the
availability and responsiveness of qualified interpreters in law enforcement
agencies and offices, and in the field; 5) the treatment received by
individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing while in the custody of law
enforcement; 6) the nature, extent, and manner of resolution of any civil,
criminal, or administrative complaints that have been filed by individuals who
are deaf or hard of hearing, or by their family members on their behalf, in
relation to the individuals� interactions with law enforcement; and 7) any
other subject matters or data that may be deemed by the director to be
relevant.

���� The bill would authorize the
director, when conducting the evaluation, to consult with, and request
appropriate data and information from, the Department of Law and Public Safety,
any division thereof, or any State or local law enforcement agency or office,
as may be deemed to be necessary.

���� Upon completion of the
evaluation, the director will be required to prepare a written report that:� 1)
describes the current nature of interactions occurring between law enforcement
and individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing; 2) identifies existing laws,
rules, regulations, policies, procedures, practices, and protocols that govern
interactions between law enforcement and individuals who are deaf or hard of
hearing; 3) highlights specific areas where interactions between law
enforcement and individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing can or should be
improved; and 4) provides recommendations for executive, legislative, and
administrative actions to be undertaken, or for policies, procedures,
practices, or protocols to be implemented, by the Governor, by the Legislature,
by the Department of Law and Public Safety, and by individual law enforcement
agencies and offices throughout the State, as may be necessary to improve law
enforcement officers� responsiveness to, ability to communicate with, and overall
treatment of, individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing.

���� The report would be submitted
to the Governor and Legislature, distributed to the Department of Law and
Public Safety and every law enforcement agency or office in the State, and
published on the Internet website of the Department of Human Services.

���� The bill would expire 30 days
after the distribution and publication of the report.