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Bill > S1437


NJ S1437

NJ S1437
Requires law enforcement develop protocol for social media in certain circumstances.


summary

Introduced
01/09/2024
In Committee
01/09/2024
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead
01/12/2026

Introduced Session

2024-2025 Regular Session

Bill Summary

This bill requires the State Police and local police departments that use social media to post information regarding missing or wanted persons to develop and implement a protocol for the posting of that information and for the removal of the posting no later than six months after the issue is resolved. Currently, there is no statutory requirement for the State's law enforcement to remove social media postings of wanted or missing persons. Therefore, a person no longer sought by police could be denied opportunities, such as employment, for appearing as a wanted person. Similarly, a person who is no longer missing could endure unnecessary scrutiny. This bill seeks to alleviate the potential for harm that may be caused by the persistence of outdated information posted by the police on the Internet.

AI Summary

This bill requires the New Jersey State Police and any local police departments that use social media to share information about missing or wanted individuals to create and follow a plan for how they will post this information and, importantly, when they will remove it. This plan must ensure that any social media post about a person who is no longer considered missing or wanted is taken down within six months of the situation being resolved, such as when a wanted person is arrested or charges are dropped, or a missing person is found. The bill defines "local police department" to include county and municipal police, "missing person" as someone under investigation by the State Police's Missing Persons Unit, and "wanted person" as someone with an active arrest warrant or pending charges in state or national crime information systems. This measure aims to prevent outdated information on social media from negatively impacting individuals, for example, by hindering their job prospects if they are still listed as wanted when they are not.

Committee Categories

Justice

Sponsors (1)

Last Action

Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Law and Public Safety Committee (on 01/09/2024)

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