New Jersey legislation · 2026-2027 Regular Session
New Jersey A4543: February 2019 police sergent exam-concerns Paterson & Newark police
Status: Signed into law, June 30, 2026
Permits Paterson and Newark police who were promoted following February 2019 police sergeant exam to have those promotions deemed regular appointments.
What the bill says
An Act concerning the February 2019 civil service police sergeant exam. Jersey: 1. The Legislature finds and declares that: a. On February 23, 2019, the New Jersey Civil Service Commission administered a promotional police sergeant exam. b. Following the exam, the commission's Division of Test Development, Analytics and Administration analyzed the examination's raw data results and recommended that, in accordance with a consent decree reached with the United States Department of Justice, as well as existing law, the last 10 exam questions should not be scored because they disproportionately af.
From the chaptered text, June 30, 2026:
An Act concerning the February 2019 civil service police sergeant exam. Jersey: 1. The Legislature finds and declares that: a. On February 23, 2019, the New Jersey Civil Service Commission administered a promotional police sergeant exam. b. Following the exam, the commission's Division of Test Development, Analytics and Administration analyzed the examination's raw data results and recommended that, in accordance with a consent decree reached with the United States Department of Justice, as well as existing law, the last 10 exam questions should not be scored because they disproportionately affected Black and Hispanic candidates, revealing a disparity in racial minority and non-racial minority candidates' performance. The commission agreed and released the scoring results, excluding the last 10 questions from scoring. c. Following the commissions decision, a challenge of that decision was raised by several petitioners arguing that the commission's action was arbitrary and capricious, adversely impacted the examinees that followed the instructions, managed their time properly, and completed the exam in the allotted time and, therefore the test results should be nullified. d. On August 22, 2025, an Appellate Division decision was issued requiring that the 2019 test results be invalidated, and a new exam be administered. e. Following the Appellate Division decision, the commission issued an order on November 10, 2025, which determined that the courts decision will only …