S.3106 / A.1517, Anti-Bias Education Act (S. Ruiz / A. McKnight) (New Jersey) This bill requires school districts to provide anti-bias instruction as part of the New Jersey Student Learning Standards in Comprehensive Health and Physical Education and requires school districts to designate a chief equity officer.
S.3145 / A4720, Requires Commissioner of Education to Distribute Survey to School Districts Regarding Instruction on Holocaust and Genocides (A. Schaer / S. Gopal) (New Jersey) Signed into law on April 18, 2023.
HATE AND EXTREMISM
S.3067 / A.1084, An Act Expanding Crime of Bias Intimidation (S. Ruiz / A. Schaer) (New Jersey) This bill expands New Jersey’s definition of bias intimidation by adding three new underlying offenses (including cyberhate offenses), ensures that New Jersey law covers “mixed motive” hate crimes and “associational” hate crimes, and strengthens civil remedies available to victims of hate and extremism.
S.1622, An Act Concerning Bias Intimidation and Amending N.J.S.2C:16-1 (S. Greenstein) (New Jersey) This bill expands New Jersey’s bias intimidation law to include anti bias training for individuals convicted of hate crimes.
VOTING RIGHTS
S.247 / A.1966, Same Day Voter Registration (S. Cunningham / A. Mukherji) (New Jersey) This bill reduces the standard voter registration deadline to eight days before the election and allows voter registration at polling places on election day and at offices where mail-in ballots are issued within 45 days of the election.
CRIMINAL LAW REFORM
A.1370, Establishes Crime of Strangulation Chokehold (A. Wimberly) (New Jersey) This bill establishes the crime of strangulation chokehold, applicable to various law enforcement personnel, and classifies this crime as a crime of the first degree.
S.386 / A.938, Establishes New Jersey Reparations Task Force (S. Rice / A. Sumter) (New Jersey) This bill establishes the “New Jersey Reparations Task Force” to study and develop reparations proposals for African-Americans in the State, including what remedies should be awarded, through what instrumentalities, and to whom those remedies should be awarded.
SR11 / AR53, Declares Racism A Public Health Crisis in New Jersey (A. McKnight / S. Rice) (New Jersey) This resolution would acknowledge the prevalence of systemic racism, racism’s role as a driver of health inequity, and the detrimental effects that racism has on New Jersey residents, and declare racism as a public health crisis in New Jersey.
S.3043 /A.977, Eliminates Past Conviction of Indictable Offense as Disqualifier for Jury Service (S. Stack / A. Reynolds-Jackson) (New Jersey) This bill removes the requirement that jurors must not have been convicted of an indictable offense in order to serve on a jury in New Jersey.
S.250 / A.1010, Restorative and Transformative Justice for Youths and Communities Pilot Program (S. Cunningham/ A. Reynolds-Jackson) (New Jersey) This bill would ensure that the pilot program to create restorative justice hubs and enhanced reentry services for young people being released from New Jersey’s youth prisons is also implemented in Jersey City, and increases the appropriation by $2 million to fund this program.
IMMIGRATION
S.512 / A.1986, Values Act (S. Cryan / A. Mukherji) (New Jersey) This bill would codify and strengthen the separation between local law enforcement and federal immigration enforcement (as currently outlined in the New Jersey’s Immigrant Trust Directive) and lay the groundwork for similar protections for people who interact with other state and local agencies, such as those providing social services.
NEW YORK 2023 PRIORITIES
HATE AND EXTREMISM
S.895,An Act to Amend the General Business Law, in Relation to Requiring Disclosure of Certain Social Media Terms of Service (S. Hoylman-Sigal) (New York) This bill requires social media companies to post their terms of service and submit reports to the New York Attorney General on their terms of service and content moderation policies and outcomes.
S.2060/ A.3694A, An Act to Amend the Education Law, in Relation to Hate Crime Reporting on College Campuses (S. Stavisky / A. Rosenthal) (New York)
This bill requires colleges to post campus crime statistics on their website; requires colleges to implement a plan to provide investigation of hate crimes on campus; and requires colleges to inform incoming students about hate crime prevention measures.
CRIMINAL LAW REFORM
S.211A / A1029A,Clean Slate NY (S. Myrie / A. Cruz) (New York) This bill automatically clears a New Yorker’s conviction record once they become eligible, ensuring that New Yorkers are not punished beyond their sentences and prevented from accessing stable jobs, licenses to practice trades, and safe, secure housing.
IMMIGRATION
S.999A /A.170, Access to Representation Act (S. Hoylman-Sigal / A. Cruz) (New York) This bill would support strong and stable communities and promote fairness and dignity by establishing a right to a government-funded lawyer for people at risk of deportation.
LGBTQ+ EQUITY
S.2860 /A.709, Gender Identity Respect, Dignity, and Safety Act (S. Salazar / A. Rozic) (New York) This bill requires that incarcerated people in state and local facilities be addressed and have access to commissary items, clothing and other materials consistent with their gender identity, and be placed in facilities with persons who share their gender identity, unless they opt out.
S.01532 /A.04576, Transgender & Non-Binary Anti-Discrimination Requirements in Schools (S. Hoylman-Sigal / A. Simone) (New York) This bill requires the board of education and the trustees or sole trustee of every school district to establish policies and procedures regarding the treatment of transgender, non-binary and gender non-conforming students.
VOTING RIGHTS
S.316 /A.412, Restoration of Voting Rights to Currently Incarcerated Citizens (S. Salazar / A. Epstein) (New York) This proposed amendment eliminates an impediment to the creation of a system whereby people with felony convictions and incarcerated people can vote while incarcerated. In addition, the amendment creates an affirmative right for incarcerated individuals in correctional facilities to vote.
S.5693, Allow Poll Sites on New York College Campuses (S. Parker) (New York) If there are 300 or more voter registrants on a college campus, this bill will ensure a polling site on campus or at a location approved by the university.
