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A4866 • 2026

Establishes qualifications to be appointed as AG.

Establishes qualifications to be appointed as AG.

Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor
Bailey, David, Jr.
Last action
2026-05-04
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.

Establishes qualifications to be appointed as AG.

Establishes qualifications to be appointed as AG.

What This Bill Does

  • Establishes qualifications to be appointed as AG.
  • 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

  1. 2026-05-04 New Jersey Legislature

    Introduced, Referred to Assembly Public Safety and Preparedness Committee

Official Summary Text

Establishes qualifications to be appointed as AG.
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 
A4866

ASSEMBLY, No. 4866

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

INTRODUCED MAY 4, 2026

Sponsored by:

Assemblyman� DAVID BAILEY, JR.

District 3 (Cumberland, Gloucester and Salem)

SYNOPSIS

���� Establishes qualifications to be appointed as AG.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� As introduced.

��

An Act

concerning the Attorney General and amending
P.L.1948, c.439.

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

���� 1.��� Section 2 of P.L.1948,
c.439 (C.52:17B-2) is amended to read as follows:

����
a.
The head of the
Department of Law and Public Safety shall be the Attorney General who shall be
appointed by the Governor, with the advice and consent of the Senate, and who
shall serve during the term of office of the Governor.�
[
He
]

The
Attorney General
shall receive
[
such
]

a

salary as shall be provided by law. Any vacancy occurring in the office of
Attorney General shall be filled in the same manner as the original
appointment, but for the unexpired term only.

����
[
The person in office as
Attorney-General on the thirty-first day of December, one thousand nine hundred
and forty-eight, shall hold the office of Attorney General in the Department of
Law and Public Safety established hereunder for the unexpired period of the
term for which he was appointed, and until his successor is appointed and
qualifies.
]

����
b. A person shall not be
appointed as the Attorney General pursuant to subsection a. of this section
unless the person:

����
(1)
is 30 years of age or older;

����
(2) has been a citizen of
the United States for at least 20 years;

����
(3) has been a resident of
this State for at least seven years immediately preceding appointment as the
Attorney General, unless the person was absent during that time on the public
business of the United States or of this State; and

����
(4) has been an attorney in
good standing licensed to practice law in this State for at least 10 years
immediately preceding appointment as the Attorney General and has been actively
engaged for at least seven of those years as a practicing attorney, judge, or
professor of law in this State.

(cf:� P.L.1948, c.439, s.2)

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

STATEMENT

���� This bill establishes
qualifications to be appointed as the Attorney General.

���� Under current law, the
Attorney General is appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of
the Senate. The Attorney General is the head of the Department of Law and
Public Safety.

���� Under this bill, a person is
not to be appointed as the Attorney General unless the person: 1) is 30 years
of age or older;� 2) has been a citizen of the United States for at least 20
years; 3) has been a resident of this State for at least seven years immediately
preceding appointment as the Attorney General, unless the person was absent
during that time on the public business of the United States or of this State;
and 4) has been an attorney in good standing licensed to practice law in this
State for at least 10 years immediately preceding appointment as the Attorney
General and has been actively engaged, for at least seven of those years as a
practicing attorney, judge, or professor of law in this State.