TRENTON, NJ – Lawmakers advanced a measure that would strip the terms “alien” and “illegal alien” from New Jersey statutes, replacing them with “foreign national” and “undocumented foreign national” when referring to a person’s legal status.
The proposal, Senate Bill 2599, was released by the Senate State Government, Wagering, Tourism and Historic Preservation Committee. The bill aims to remove the existing language from state law and bar Executive Branch agencies from using the old terms in any new rules, regulations, publications, or official documents after the law takes effect.
The only exception would be when agencies quote or reproduce material from outside sources that contain the original wording. The change would apply to all future state-issued communications, displays, and signage.
If enacted, New Jersey statutes and government documents would use the new terminology in every reference to a person’s immigration status, shifting away from language long embedded in legal codes.
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Key Points
- Bill replaces “alien” and “illegal alien” in state laws with “foreign national” and “undocumented foreign national.”
- Executive Branch agencies would be barred from using the old terms in new documents.
- Exceptions apply when reproducing external material containing the original wording.