New Jersey Assembly Bill A1370

New Jersey 2026-2027 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/13/26
• Refer: 1/13/26

Caption

Requires AG to release bias incident data monthly.

Summary

Assembly Bill 1370 would require the New Jersey Attorney General to publish bias incident data every month on the Department of Law and Public Safety’s website. The bill amends the existing law governing the state’s central repository for bias-related information, which already requires the Attorney General to collect and analyze reports from law enforcement and make information available to the public. Under current law, municipal and county agencies submit quarterly reports and the Attorney General issues an annual report; this bill adds a monthly public release requirement. The bill defines “bias incident” as a suspected or confirmed violation of specified provisions of New Jersey’s bias intimidation statute. The practical effect is to increase the frequency and timeliness of public reporting on incidents motivated by race, color, religion, gender, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, or ethnicity. It would not create a new reporting system so much as accelerate disclosure of data already being collected within the existing framework.

Impact

This bill would amend P.L.2007, c.303 to require the Attorney General to release bias incident data monthly, in addition to the existing annual report, and to make that data publicly available online. It would affect the Attorney General, the Division of State Police if designated to maintain the repository, and local law enforcement agencies that already submit bias-related reports. The underlying bias intimidation statutes and reporting obligations remain in place, but the bill increases public transparency and the cadence of state-level disclosure.

Sentiment

Based on the bill text and the absence of recorded committee testimony or votes, the measure appears to be framed as a transparency and public-information bill rather than a controversial policy change. Its stated purpose is administrative: to provide more frequent access to data the state already collects. The overall sentiment implied by the sponsorship and synopsis is supportive of greater public reporting and monitoring of bias incidents.

Contention

No committee transcripts or vote records are provided, so there is no documented opposition or debate in the available materials. The most likely points of discussion would be administrative burden on the Attorney General’s office and law enforcement, the quality and completeness of monthly data, and whether more frequent publication could affect interpretation of incomplete or preliminary incident reports. Any concern would likely center on implementation rather than the bill’s substantive goal of public disclosure.