SENATE LAW AND PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

SENATE COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR

SENATE, No. 1850

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED: MARCH 24, 1997

      The Senate Law and Public Safety Committee reports favorably a Senate Committee Substitute for Senate Bill No. 1850.

      This substitute bill requires the licensing of private security officers (guards) and the security officers of State and local governments and their agencies by the Department of Law and Public Safety. Employees of private detective agencies who work as security officers, in-house security officers, and armored car security officers are required to be licensed if they are employed by an entity with more than 50 employees. Licensees are required to pass criminal history background checks, complete eight hours of initial training by certified instructors and eight hours of on-the-job training, pass a written examination and submit a personal history statement. Armed security officers are also required to complete a firearms training course. Security officers employed on the effective date of this act would become licensed if they pass the written examination or, within 120 days after failing the examination, complete the substitute bill's training requirement. Armored car companies would be required to maintain general liability insurance of $500,000 per occurrence and $1,000,000 aggregate.

      The substitute bill creates an eleven-member advisory board and a Division of State Licensing of Security Guards, both in the Department of Law and Public Safety. The division will review the background statements of applicants, approve training courses, certify instructors, approve a written examination, monitor annual criminal history checks of licensees, provide staff for the board and maintain a computerized registry of licensees.

      This committee substitute is identical to Assembly Bill No. 1043 (3R).