ASSEMBLY, No. 365

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 1996 SESSION

By Assemblymen HOLZAPFEL and WOLFE

An Act concerning State police powers conferred on federal officers and amending P.L.1983, c.268.

    Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

    1. Section 1 of P.L.1983, c.268 (C.2A:154-5) is amended to read as follows:

    1. The following persons employed as full-time law enforcement officers by the Federal Government, who are empowered to effect an arrest with or without warrant for violations of the United States Code and who are authorized to carry firearms in the performance of their duties, shall be empowered to act as an officer for the arrest of offenders against the laws of this State where the person reasonably believes that a crime of the first, second or third degree is or is about to be committed or attempted in his presence:

    Federal Bureau of Investigation special agents;

    United States Secret Service special agents;

    Immigration and Naturalization Service special agents, investigators and patrol officers;

    United States Marshal Service deputies;

    Drug Enforcement Administration special agents;

    United States Postal inspectors;

    United States Customs Service special agents, inspectors and patrol officers;

    United States General Services Administration special agents;

    United States Department of Agriculture special agents;

    Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms special agents;

    Internal Revenue Service special agents and inspectors;

    United States Armed forces police officers and civilian police officers employed by the Department of Defense.

(cf: P.L.1983, c.268, s.1)

    2. This act shall take effect thirty days following enactment.

STATEMENT

    This bill would extend to members of the armed forces and Department of Defense police the power to enforce the laws of this State in certain circumstances. This power is currently granted to specifically enumerated federal law enforcement officers. The bill would extend this power to armed forces police including military services police and civilian police hired by the United States Department of Defense.

Grants State police powers to armed forces and Department of Defense Police.