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Bill > A2533
NJ A2533
NJ A2533Revises law concerning bias intimidation to include members of press or media in protected class.
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 amends N.J.S.A.2C:16-1, the crime of bias intimidation, to specifically provide that "members of the press or media" are within the protected classes set forth in the statute. Current law enumerates the protected classes of "race, color, religion, gender, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, ethnicity." Under the provisions of this section, a person may be guilty of the crime of bias intimidation if he commits, attempts, conspires, or threatens the immediate commission of certain specified offenses with a purpose to intimidate an individual or group because of race, color, religion, gender, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, or ethnicity or knowing that the conduct would cause an individual or group to be intimidated on that basis or under circumstances in which the victim believes he was targeted on that basis. The bill provides that "member of the press or media" means an accredited member of the press corps or media; a photographer or photojournalist employed by a newspaper, magazine, or other media company; or an individual operating equipment to facilitate the delivery of news or media. This bill is modeled after legislation recently introduced in Florida concerning offenses against members of the press.
AI Summary
This bill amends New Jersey's bias intimidation law, N.J.S.A. 2C:16-1, to include "members of the press or media" as a protected class, meaning individuals targeted because of their profession are now covered under the same protections as those targeted based on race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, and other characteristics. Bias intimidation is a crime committed when someone commits, attempts, conspires to commit, or threatens to commit certain offenses with the intent to intimidate another person or group because of their protected characteristics, or when they know their actions would cause intimidation based on those characteristics. The bill defines "member of the press or media" broadly to encompass accredited journalists, photographers, photojournalists, and individuals operating equipment for news delivery, drawing inspiration from similar legislation in Florida.
Committee Categories
Justice
Sponsors (1)
Last Action
Introduced, Referred to Assembly Judiciary 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/A2533 |
| BillText | https://pub.njleg.gov/Bills/2026/A3000/2533_I1.HTM |
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