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Bill

A 5057

Allows certain appointing authorities in Civil Service to hire from or promote within top five eligible candidates for law enforcement officer titles.

2026-2027 Regular Session Introduced by Carol Murphy

Expands the Civil Service rule for police positions from top three to top five eligible candidates, with ties preserved and four vacancies handled by ranking.

Introduced, Referred to Assembly State and Local Government Committee
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Bill Summary · A 5057

Bill Overview

  • Bill: A 5057 (Session 222) – New Jersey
  • Purpose: Amends the Civil Service law to allow certain appointing authorities to hire from or promote within the top five eligible candidates for law enforcement officer titles. Applies to police departments; preserves the current rule for all other Civil Service appointing authorities.

Main Purpose and Intent

  • The bill modifies the existing “rule of three” used by Civil Service Commission appointing authorities.
  • Specifically, it expands the pool from which police departments (law enforcement officer titles) may select to the top five eligible candidates, rather than the top three.
  • Veterans’ preference considerations remain in place for the selection process.

Key Provisions and Changes

  • Section 11A:4-8 (Certification and appointment)

    • Subsection a (general rule): Under current law, the commission certifies the top three eligibles for a vacancy on open competitive or promotional lists, with tie handling and provisional appointments as applicable. This remains unchanged for most appointing authorities.
    • Subsection b (law enforcement officers): For positions within police departments of a political subdivision, the commission shall certify the top five eligibles who have the highest ranking on an open competitive or promotional list against the first provisional or vacancy. For each additional vacancy, the next ranked eligible is certified. Ties are not broken; those with equal scores share rank. If five or more eligibles can be certified without needing all five highest scores, only those eligible are certified. A certification containing at least five eligible names is deemed complete, and a regular appointment must be made from among those eligibles. If the list is incomplete, an eligible may receive a provisional appointment. Reemployment lists are certified and appointed in ranking order and are not considered incomplete.
    • Note: The bill preserves the overall framework for other Civil Service appointing authorities, which continue to follow the “rule of three.”

  • Section 2: Effective date

    • The act takes effect immediately upon enactment.

Who Would be Affected

  • Primary: Police departments and other law enforcement officer titles within political subdivisions of New Jersey (e.g., municipal police departments, county police entities) that fall under Civil Service oversight.
  • Secondary: Other Civil Service appointing authorities would remain governed by the current rule of three and are not expanded by this bill.

Procedural and Timeline Aspects

  • Introduction and referral: Introduced May 14, 2026, to the Assembly State and Local Government Committee.
  • Immediate effect: If enacted, the law would apply to new certifications and appointments for law enforcement officer titles, given the act states it takes effect immediately.

Potential Impacts and Considerations

  • Potential benefits:
    • Expanded pool for law enforcement hiring/promotions could increase flexibility to select highly qualified candidates.
    • May improve recruitment outcomes by allowing departments to consider a broader set of top candidates.
  • Potential considerations:
    • Could raise concerns about fairness or predictability for non-law enforcement Civil Service employers who remain under the rule of three.
    • Administrative and legal clarity needed to ensure consistent application across jurisdictions and to manage veteran’s preference within a five-candidate framework.

This summary outlines the bill’s core changes, affected parties, and potential implications based on the text and accompanying explanation.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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