Bill
Bill > A496
NJ A496
NJ A496Requires county prosecutor to initiate municipal, county, and higher education law enforcement internal affairs investigations.
summary
Introduced
01/13/2026
01/13/2026
In Committee
01/13/2026
01/13/2026
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead
Introduced Session
2026-2027 Regular Session
Bill Summary
This bill requires the county prosecutor to initiate all internal affairs investigations for municipal and county law enforcement agencies, and for higher education law enforcement agencies established pursuant to P.L.1970, c.211 (C.18A:6-4.2). The bill also requires that upon receipt of a complaint of officer misconduct by any person, a municipal, county, or higher education law enforcement agency is required to transfer the filed complaint to the county prosecutor to initiate an investigation. The bill also requires a petition for an extreme risk protection order filed against a law enforcement officer to be transferred from the officer's agency to the county prosecutor immediately upon receipt. The county prosecutor is then required to initiate an internal affairs investigation. The prosecutor retains the power to decide if the matter will be referred to the courts.
AI Summary
This bill mandates that county prosecutors must initiate all internal affairs investigations for municipal, county, and higher education law enforcement agencies, which are agencies responsible for law enforcement at colleges and universities. This means that when a complaint of officer misconduct is filed with any of these agencies, or when a petition for an extreme risk protection order (a court order designed to temporarily remove firearms from individuals deemed a danger to themselves or others) is filed against a law enforcement officer, the complaint or petition must be immediately transferred to the county prosecutor. The county prosecutor will then be responsible for starting the investigation and will decide whether to refer the matter to the courts, ensuring a more centralized and potentially impartial review of misconduct allegations.
Committee Categories
Military Affairs and Security
Sponsors (1)
Last Action
Introduced, Referred to Assembly Public Safety and Preparedness Committee (on 01/13/2026)
Official Document
bill text
bill summary
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bill summary
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bill summary
| Document Type | Source Location |
|---|---|
| State Bill Page | https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/bill-search/2026/A496 |
| BillText | https://pub.njleg.gov/Bills/2026/A0500/496_I1.HTM |
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