New Jersey S 2509: Requires NJEDA to establish "Value-added Agriculture Loan Program" to assist farmers in developing value-added products.

Bill Text

S2509 

SENATE, No. 2509 

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

� 

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Senator DECLAN J. O'SCANLON, JR.

District 13 (Monmouth)

Senator ANTHONY M. BUCCO

District 25 (Morris and Passaic)

Co-Sponsored by:

Senators Holzapfel, Singer, Testa, Schepisi and Bramnick

SYNOPSIS

���� Removes criminal liability for law enforcement 
officers who have investigative encounter with underage person for possession 
of alcohol or cannabis unless civil rights are violated.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT 

���� Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative 
Counsel.

��

An Act concerning law enforcement and amending P.L.2021, c.25

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

���� 1.� Section 3 of P.L.2021 
c.25 (C.2C:30-6.1) is amended to 
read as follows:�� 

���� 3.� 
a.� A law enforcement officer, when responding to a call for service or 
upon the initiation of any other law enforcement or investigative encounter 
related to a violation or suspected violation of paragraph (1) of subsection a. 
of section 1 of P.L.1979, c.264 (C.2C:33-15), concerning the possession or 
consumption of alcoholic beverages, marijuana, hashish, or any cannabis item by 
a person under the legal age to purchase alcoholic beverages or cannabis items, 
shall be guilty of a crime of official deprivation of civil rights as defined 
in section 2 of P.L.2003, c.31 (C.2C:30-6) if that officer knowingly violates 
the provisions of subsection a. of section 1 of P.L.1979, c.264 (C.2C:33-15) 
that address law enforcement actions involving persons who are under the legal 
age to purchase alcoholic beverages or cannabis items by:

���� (1)�� requesting that a 
person consent to a search who is not capable of giving lawful consent or 
searching a person after wrongfully obtaining that person�s consent [,] ; 

���� (2)�� initiating an 
investigatory stop without reasonable articulable suspicion [,] ; 

���� (3)�� initiating a 
search without probable cause [,] ; 

���� (4)�� issuing a warning 
or write-up without a proper basis that a person committed a violation [, or] ; 

���� (5)�� detaining or 
taking into custody a person in a manner or for a longer period beyond the 
extent required to issue a warning or write-up [, or] ; 

���� (6)�� arresting a 
person for a possession or consumption violation of paragraph (1) of subsection 
a. of section 1 of P.L.1979, c.264 (C.2C:33-15) [,] ; or [if that 
officer]

���� (7)�� knowingly [engages] engaging 
in any other unlawful act, as described in subsection e. of section 2 of 
P.L.2003, c.31 (C.2C:30-6), against the person arising out of the call for 
service or initiation of any other law enforcement or investigative encounter, 
including but not limited to the unjustified use of force in violation of 
N.J.S.2C:3-7.� 

���� b.� A violation set 
forth in this section shall [not] require a 
finding that the law enforcement officer [have] acted with 
the purpose to intimidate or discriminate against a person or group of persons 
because of race, color, religion, gender, handicap, sexual orientation or 
ethnicity in accordance with section 2 of 
P.L.2003, c.31 (C.2C:30-6).

���� c.� A violation of this 
section shall be graded in the same manner as set forth in [section 2 of 
P.L.2003, c.21 (C.2C:30-6)] 
section 2 of P.L.2003, c.31 (C.2C:30-6) for other crimes of official 
deprivation of civil rights.

(cf:� P.L.2021 c.25, s.3) 

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

STATEMENT

���� This 
bill provides that a law enforcement officer is not criminally liable for 
deprivation of civil rights for certain interactions with an underage person 
who possesses or consumes alcohol, marijuana, or certain cannabis items unless 
the officer acted with the purpose to intimidate or discriminate against a 
person or group of persons because of race, color, religion, gender, handicap, 
sexual orientation or ethnicity.� 

���� Under 
current law, a law enforcement officer, when responding to a call for service 
or upon the initiation of any other law enforcement or investigative encounter 
related to a violation concerning the unlawful possession or consumption of 
alcoholic beverages, marijuana, hashish, or any cannabis item by a person under 
the legal age to purchase alcoholic beverages or cannabis items, may be guilty 
of a crime of official deprivation of civil rights under certain 
circumstances.� Current law imposes criminal liability regardless of whether 
the officer�s act was done with the purpose to intimidate or discriminate 
against a person or group of persons because of race, color, religion, gender, 
handicap, sexual orientation or ethnicity, which motivation is required to be 
proven for other acts of criminal deprivation of civil rights under section 2 
of P.L.2003, c.31 (C.2C:30-6).� 

���� �Under 
this bill, a law enforcement officer who purposely intimidates or discriminates 
against an undera