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Bill

A 1374

Replaces references to "alien" and "illegal alien" in statutes with "foreign national" and "undocumented foreign national," respectively; prohibits use of those terms by executive branch agencies.

2024-2025 Regular Session Introduced by Shama Haider and 6 co-sponsors

New Jersey bill replaces "alien" and "illegal alien" with "foreign national" and "undocumented foreign national" throughout state statutes and bans older terms in executive agencies.

Introduced in the Assembly, Referred to Assembly State and Local Government Committee
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Bill Summary · A 1374

Legislative bill overview

Bill A 1374 replaces the terms "alien" and "illegal alien" throughout New Jersey statutes with "foreign national" and "undocumented foreign national," and prohibits executive branch agencies from using the older terminology. The bill is primarily a linguistic and nomenclature change across state law and administrative practice.

Why is this important

Language in official statutes and government communications carries symbolic and practical weight—it shapes how policies are understood and discussed publicly. Proponents argue the new terms are more precise and less dehumanizing, while the change affects how state agencies interact with and refer to immigrant populations in official documents, regulations, and public communications.

Potential points of contention

  • Semantic vs. substantive debate: Critics may argue this is symbolic language policing that doesn't address underlying immigration policy problems, while supporters contend language reflects values and dignity in how government treats vulnerable populations
  • Enforcement and compliance: Determining what counts as a violation of the agency prohibition and how violations would be remedied could create administrative complexity
  • Consistency with federal law: Federal statutes still use "alien" terminology; this creates potential confusion when state and federal law intersect, and may require dual terminology in some contexts

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

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