Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman ANGELA V. MCKNIGHT
District 31 (Hudson)
Assemblyman RAJ MUKHERJI
District 33 (Hudson)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman Jimenez
SYNOPSIS
Requires Attorney General to establish and maintain domestic extremist organization database.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning domestic extremist organizations and supplementing Title 52 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. For the purposes of this section:
“Domestic extremism” means the activity of groups or individuals who commit or plan violent criminal acts motivated by a political or ideological viewpoint.
“Domestic extremist organization” means a group formed or individuals associated for the purpose of engaging in domestic extremism.
“Law enforcement agency” means” any federal, State, or local agency which is empowered by statute to act for the detection, investigation, arrest, conviction, detention, or rehabilitation of persons violating criminal laws.
“Military” means any branch of the Armed Forces of the United States, or a Reserve component thereof, or the National Guard of this State or another state as defined in section 1 of P.L.1963, c.109 (C.38A:1-1).
2. a. In consultation with the Director of the Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness, the Attorney General shall establish and maintain, at a publicly accessible location on its Internet website, a searchable database of information concerning domestic extremist organizations operating within or with any known connection to the State.
b. The database shall include, but not be limited to, the following information concerning each domestic extremist organization: any name or nickname associated with the organization; a description of the organization’s purpose and objectives; information concerning membership and recruiting tactics of the organization, including whether the organization is known to recruit current or former members of a law enforcement agency or the military; and any known criminal activities of the organization.
3. This act shall take effect on the first day of the fourth month next following the date of enactment, except that the Attorney General may take any anticipatory action as shall be necessary for the implementation of this act.
STATEMENT
This bill requires the Attorney General, in consultation with the Director of the Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness, to establish and maintain, at a publicly accessible location on its Internet website, a searchable database of information concerning domestic extremist organizations operating within or with any known connection to the State.
The bill defines a “domestic extremist organization” as a group formed or individuals associated for the purpose of engaging in domestic extremism. “Domestic extremism” is defined as the activity of groups or individuals who commit or plan violent criminal acts motivated by a political or ideological viewpoint.
The bill requires the database to include, but not be limited to, the following information concerning each domestic extremist organization: any name or nickname associated with the organization; a description of the organization’s purpose and objectives; information concerning membership and recruiting tactics of the organization, including whether the organization is known to recruit current or former members of law enforcement agencies or the military; and any known criminal activities of the group.