Bill Text: NJ A669 | 2024-2025 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Establishes State definition of anti-Semitism.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 9-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-01-09 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Public Safety and Preparedness Committee [A669 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2024-A669-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
221st LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2024 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman SEAN T. KEAN
District 30 (Monmouth and Ocean)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblymen DePhillips, DiMaio, Assemblywomen Dunn, Swift, Assemblymen Simonsen, McClellan, Barranco and Assemblywoman Matsikoudis
SYNOPSIS
Establishes State definition of anti-Semitism.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Act concerning anti-Semitism in the State of New Jersey and supplementing Title 10 for the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. The Legislature finds and declares that:
a. Anti-Semitism, and harassment on the basis of actual or perceived national origin, shared ancestry, or ethnic characteristics with a religious group, remains a persistent, pervasive, and disturbing problem in contemporary American society.
b. Data shows that Jews are among the most likely of all minority groups to be victimized by incidents of hate, and such incidents are increasing at an alarming rate.
c. Data also shows that the State of New Jersey ranked third in the nation in anti-Semitic incidents last year.
d. Campus anti-Semitism is systemic, broad and deep, with recent studies showing that the number of Jewish students experiencing anti-Semitism on campuses across the United States had spiked to nearly 75 percent and, in 2017 alone, there were more than 204 reports of anti-Semitic incidents of harassment, vandalism, or assault against Jewish students on campus, an 89 percent increase from the previous year.
e. State officials and institutions, including educational institutions, have a responsibility to protect citizens from hate and bigotry, and must be given the tools to stem both criminal conduct as well as discriminatory acts motivated by anti-Semitism.
f. Valid monitoring, informed analysis and investigating, and effective policy-making all require uniform definitions.
g. The standard definition of anti-Semitism, as used by the federal government, the 34 governments that are members of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, all 57 countries, except Russia, that comprise the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, and the governments of the United Kingdom, Romania, Austria, Germany, and Bulgaria, has been an essential definitional tool used to determine contemporary manifestations of anti-Semitism, and includes useful examples of discriminatory anti-Israel acts that cross the line into anti-Semitism.
h. Awareness of this definition of anti-Semitism will increase understanding of the parameters of contemporary anti-Jewish crime and discrimination.
2. a. For purposes of this Act, the term "definition of anti-Semitism" refers to the definition adopted by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance on May 26, 2016, including the "contemporary examples of antisemitism," while noting that criticism of Israel similar to that leveled against any other country shall not be considered anti-Semitic.
b. In reviewing, investigating, or deciding whether there has been a violation of any policy, law, or regulation prohibiting discriminatory acts, the State shall take into consideration this definition of anti-Semitism for purposes of determining whether the alleged act was motivated by anti-Semitic intent.
c. Nothing contained in this act, P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), shall be construed to diminish or infringe upon any right protected under the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, or paragraph 6 of Article I of the New Jersey State Constitution. Nothing in this act shall be construed to conflict with local, State, or federal anti-discrimination laws or regulations.
3. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill establishes a State definition of anti-Semitism. Under the bill, the term "definition of anti-Semitism" refers to the definition adopted by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance on May 26, 2016, including the "contemporary examples of antisemitism," while noting that criticism of Israel similar to that leveled against any other country is not antisemitic.
The bill provides that in reviewing, investigating, or deciding whether there has been a violation of any policy, law, or regulation prohibiting discriminatory acts, the State must take into consideration this definition of anti-Semitism for purposes of determining whether the alleged act was motivated by anti-Semitic intent.
Under the bill, nothing contained in the bill would be construed to diminish or infringe upon any right protected under the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, or paragraph 6 of Article I of the New Jersey State Constitution. The bill also provides that nothing in the bill would be construed to conflict with local, State, or federal anti-discrimination laws or regulations.
