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A 3287

Establishes pilot program in Paterson authorizing non-disclosure of records of certain expungements.

2024-2025 Regular Session

Paterson runs a five-year pilot limiting disclosure of expunged records for most municipal court and city law enforcement hires, boosting eligible applicants while still disclosing

Reported and Referred to Assembly State and Local Government Committee
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Bill Summary · A 3287

Summary: A-3287 — Establishes five-year Paterson pilot on disclosure of expunged records for certain municipal employment

Overview

A-3287 proposes a five-year pilot program in the City of Paterson to limit the disclosure requirements of expunged records for individuals seeking employment within Paterson’s municipal court system and its police, sheriff, and corrections agencies. The goal is to assess whether restricting access to expunged arrest/charge information (and certain non-indictable convictions) improves employment opportunities for otherwise qualified candidates, while preserving required disclosures for certain high-level court positions.

Key Provisions

  • Establishes a five-year pilot program in Paterson regarding the use of expunged records and information for employment in:
    • Paterson’s municipal court system
    • City law enforcement agencies
    • City corrections agencies
  • During the five-year period:
    • The current requirement in N.J.S.2C:52-27(c) to disclose expunged records and to treat expunged materials as providing a disability despite expungement would apply only to convictions for indictable offenses (i.e., crimes of the fourth degree or higher).
    • The following would not be subject to disclosure requirements under the pilot:
    • Records or information related to arrests or charges that did not result in a conviction or finding of guilt (dismissed, acquitted, or discharged cases).
    • Records or information related to convictions or findings of guilt for disorderly persons offenses, petty disorderly persons offenses, or violations of municipal ordinances (non-indictable actions).
    • An exception: individuals applying for the position of court director, court administrator, or deputy court administrator must continue to disclose expunged records consistent with subsection c. of N.J.S.2C:52-27.
  • Reporting requirement at the end of the five-year period:
    • The City of Paterson must submit a report to the Governor and the Legislature with recommendations on whether to continue, modify, expand, or terminate the program.
  • Effective date:
    • The act takes effect on the 90th day after enactment.

Affected Parties

  • Prospective and current employees in Paterson’s municipal court system.
  • Employees in Paterson’s city law enforcement and corrections agencies.
  • Specifically excluded from the disclosure reduction are:
    • Court director, court administrator, and deputy court administrator positions (these applicants continue to disclose expunged records as currently required).

Implementation Timeline

  • Pilot duration: five years from the effective date.
  • Post-pilot: mandatory reporting to the Governor and Legislature with recommendations.
  • If enacted, the act would take effect 90 days after enactment.

Legislative Context

  • Bill Number: A 3287
  • Primary Sponsor: Harry B. Bronson
  • Status: Reported and referred to Assembly State and Local Government Committee (with companion S-4210 noted in related materials)
  • Related/Companion: S 4210 (companion bill)
  • Introduced: January 27, 2025; per the accompanying materials, the bill has undergone committee consideration and is in the referenced stage.

Rationale and Impact (Neutral Summary)

  • The sponsor’s language emphasizes that expungement laws can disproportionately bar qualified individuals from employment in judicial and law enforcement roles due to broad disclosure rules. The pilot aims to gauge whether limiting disclosures to indictable-offense convictions (and excluding arrests/charges that did not lead to conviction, as well as non-indictable offenses) would expand the eligible pool without compromising public safety. Results from Paterson’s five-year pilot would inform potential statewide changes.

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

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