New jersey senate panel advances bill banning federal agents from schools, churches, and hospitals

TRENTON, N.J. – The New Jersey Senate Judiciary Committee voted Thursday to advance legislation requiring the state Attorney General to develop model policies guiding interactions with federal civil law enforcement in places such as hospitals, schools, shelters, and houses of worship.

The committee approved Senate Bill No. 5036, with amendments, by a 7–2 vote, while one member abstained and another did not vote.

The measure directs the Attorney General to work with government entities and community stakeholders to create uniform policies for “sensitive locations” including public schools, health care facilities, shelters, courthouses, correctional institutions, social service offices, and funeral homes. The goal is to ensure that residents are not discouraged from seeking public services or entering essential facilities due to concerns about federal enforcement actions.

Under the bill, the model policies must be published on the Department of Law and Public Safety’s website. Within 180 days of their release, the Commissioners of Community Affairs, Children and Families, Health, Human Services, Education, and Corrections, along with the Administrative Director of the Courts, would be required to adopt the model policies or implement stronger protections and post them publicly online.

As amended, the legislation also requires the Commissioner of Health to mandate that health care facilities adopt policies offering similar protections, while the Commissioner of Education must ensure that public schools adopt—and private schools are encouraged to adopt—the Attorney General’s model policies.

The bill further requires the Attorney General, in consultation with religious leaders, to develop a model policy for places of worship to prevent individuals from being deterred from entering. That policy would also be published on the Department of Law and Public Safety’s website.

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