Trenton – In response to national protests calling for an end to racial discrimination and police brutality, the Senate Law and Public Safety Committee approved a package of bills today to create more equitable policing and reduce racial bias in law enforcement.
The committee approved the following bills:
- S.401 – Sponsored by Senator Shirley Turner and Senator Sandra B. Cunningham, the bill would require law enforcement agencies in the State to establish minority recruitment and selection programs. The bill was released from committee by a vote of 5-0.
- S.415 – Sponsored by Senator Turner, the bill would require the Division of Parole to offer parole services to certain defendants who have served their maximum sentence. Currently, parole services are only offered to those released on parole. The bill was released from committee by a vote of 4-0.
- S.419 – Sponsored by Senator Turner and Senator Linda Greenstein, the bill would require law enforcement agencies to provide law enforcement officers with cultural diversity training and develop a diversity action plan. The bill was released from committee by a vote of 5-0.
- S.2635/2578 – Sponsored by Senator Nia Gill, Senator Troy Singleton and Senator Turner the bill would include false incrimination and filing false police reports as a form of bias intimidation. It would also establish making false 9-1-1 calls with the purpose to intimidate or harass based on race or other protected class as a crime. The bill was released from committee by a vote of 5-0.
- S.2689 – Sponsored by Senator Greenstein, the bill would require the Department of Law and Public Safety to incorporate implicit bias in cultural diversity training materials for law enforcement officers. Under the bill, cultural diversity and implicit bias training would be mandatory for all law enforcement officers. The bill was released from committee by a vote of 5-0.