Bill > S3770

Introduced Session

This bill establishes a three-year pilot program encouraging the development of non-lethal weapons for law enforcement purposes. The bill requires the Attorney General, in consultation with the Secretary of Higher Education, to create and administer a three-year pilot program to encourage the development of non-lethal weapons for use by law enforcement. Under the program, the Attorney General would award grants of up to $1,000,000 to public or private institutions of higher education located in the State that successfully apply for selection to the program. A maximum of three institutions would be selected as program participants. The bill requires the Attorney General to provide each of the State's four-year institutions of higher education information concerning the pilot program. To be eligible for consideration of a grant award under the program, an institution of higher education would be required to submit an application to the Attorney General within 90 days of receiving notice of the program. Applicants would be required to include a proposal with a description of the institution's plan to conduct research and development of a non-lethal weapon or weapons for use by law enforcement and any other information as required by the Attorney General. Applicants that partner with private sector companies would receive priority in the selection process. The bill requires the Attorney General to establish and oversee a committee entitled the "Non-Lethal Weapons Innovation Technical Review Committee" for the duration of the pilot program. The committee would review and evaluate the applications and advise the Attorney General in the applicant selection process. The membership and size of the committee would be determined by the Attorney General, but would be comprised of law enforcement, medical, and social justice experts, including at least one member from each of the following organizations: New Jersey Policemen's Benevolent Association, Fraternal Order of Police, the American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey, the NAACP New Jersey State Conference, the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives, the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice, the New Jersey Council for Social Studies, the Medical Society of New Jersey, and the New Jersey Medical Association. Under the bill, program participants would be required to submit annual reports to the Attorney General and the committee. The first two reports would summarize the use of grant funds and progress in research and development during the preceding year, and the final report would summarize the use of grant funds and progress in research and development for the entire three-year program. Ninety days following receipt of the final reports submitted by the program participants, the Attorney General, in consultation with the committee, would be required to submit a final report to the Governor, and the Legislature. The final report would include, but not be limited to, a summary of the grant expenditures and progress in research and development made by each program participant, a description of any non-lethal weapon or weapon technology developed under the program, and a recommendation as to whether the pilot program should be extended, amended, or made a permanent program. Additionally, the bill establishes the Non-Lethal Weapons Innovation Fund" and appropriates to it $3,000,000 from the General Fund for grant awards established pursuant to the pilot program. The bill also appropriates $200,000 from the General Fund to the Department of Law and Public Safety for program administration expenses.

Committee Categories

Joe Cryan (D)*, 

Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Law and Public Safety Committee (on 10/07/2024)

Official Document