New Jersey A 2373: Permits hiring police officers prior to taking training course.

Bill Text

ASSEMBLY, No. 2373

STATE OF NEW JERSEY
221st LEGISLATURE

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2024 SESSION

Sponsored by:
Assemblyman WILLIAM W. SPEARMAN
District 5 (Camden and Gloucester)

SYNOPSIS
Permits hiring police officers prior to taking training course.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.

A2373 SPEARMAN
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EXPLANATION – Matter enclosed in bold-faced brackets [thus] in the above bill is
not enacted and is intended to be omitted in the law.

Matter underlined thus is new matter.

AN ACT concerning training course requirements for entry-level 1
police officers, and amending P.L.2021, c.7. 2
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BE IT ENACTED by the Senate and General Assembly of the State 4
of New Jersey: 5
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1. Section 1 of P.L.2021, c.7 (C.11A:4-1.3) is amended to read 7
as follows: 8
1. a. The Civil Service Commission shall exempt from the 9
requirement to take an examination for an entry-level law 10
enforcement position a person who has successfully completed a 11
full Basic Course for Police Officers training course at a school 12
approved and authorized by the New Jersey Police Training 13
commission. 14
b. [The Civil Service Commission shall promulgate, pursuant 15
to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-16
1 et seq.), rules and regulations and establish administrative 17
processes that are reasonable, necessary, and consistent with the 18
provisions of this act.] (Deleted by amendment, P.L. , c. ) 19
(pending before the Legislature as this bill) 20
c. A municipal or county police department may hire a person, 21
exempt from the requirement to take an examination for an entry-22
level law enforcement position pursuant to subsection a. of this 23
section, upon adoption of an ordinance or resolution by the 24
governing body authorizing such hiring by the police department 25
and the adoption of a conflict of interest and nepotism policy. 26
d. (1) Notwithstanding the provisions of Title 11A of the New 27
Jersey Statutes or any other law, rule, or regulation to the contrary, 28
the Civil Service Commission shall permit a municipal or county 29
police department to recruit and employ a person as a probationary 30
entry-level municipal or county police officer prior to taking a full 31
Basic Course for Police Officers training course approved by the 32
New Jersey Police Training Commission, and shall exempt such 33
person from the requirement to take an examination for an entry-34
level municipal or county police officer position. 35
(2) Any person employed under the provisions of this subsection 36
shall successfully complete a full Basic Course for Police Officers 37
training course within nine months from the date of hire as a 38
probationary entry-level police officer under the provisions of this 39
subsection. The time period may exceed nine months for those 40
persons enrolled prior to the nine-month limit in a police officer 41
training course scheduled to end subsequent to the nine-month 42
limit, and for those persons who, prior to the nine-month limit, have 43
been scheduled to attend a police officer training course which 44
commences subsequent to the nine month-limit. In no case shall any 45

A2373 SPEARMAN
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extension granted for the reasons herein listed exceed six months. 1
Every person holding such probationary appointment shall enroll 2
in a full Basic Course for Police Officers training course approved 3
by the New Jersey Police Training Commission, and such person 4
shall be entitled to a leave of absence with pay during the period of 5
the training course. 6
(3) Upon successful completion of the training course, the 7
person shall be promoted from a probationary entry-level municipal 8
or county police officer to an entry-level municipal or county police 9
officer. 10
e. A municipal or county police department may recruit and 11
employ a person as a probationary entry-level police officer 12
pursuant to this section, upon adoption of a resolution by the 13
governing body authorizing such hiring and the adoption of a 14
conflict of interest and nepotism policy. 15
f. The Civil Service Commission shall promulgate, pursuant to 16
the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et 17
seq.), rules and regulations and establish administrative processes 18
that are reasonable, necessary, and consistent with the provisions of 19
this section. 20
(cf: P.L.2021, c.7, s.1) 21
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2. This act shall take effect six months following enactment, 23
except the Civil Service Commission may take any anticipatory 24
administrative action in advance as shall be necessary for the 25
implementation of this act. 26
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STATEMENT 29
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Under this bill, the Civil Service Commission will permit a 31
municipal or county police department to recruit and employ a 32
person as a probationary entry-level police officer prior to taking 33
the training course approved by the New Jersey Police Training 34
Commission, and such person will also be exempt from