S 4609 — Clarifies investigatory powers and duties of SCI.

Summary

SCI-clarifies investigatory powers and duties

Bill Text

• Introduced View text Current html July 01, 2026

AI-generated reading aid from the bill's amendatory text — verify against the official bill.

This bill amends 12 section(s) of the New Jersey statutes: N.J.S.A. 52:9M-1; N.J.S.A. 52:9M-2; N.J.S.A. 52:9M-4; N.J.S.A. 52:9M-5; N.J.S.A. 52:9M-8; N.J.S.A. 52:9M-9.

• N.J.S.A. 52:9M-1

  his No person shall serve, in succession, more than two four-year terms and any portion of an unexpired term as a member of the commission. chairman appointed by the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the General Assembly and at least one of the members appointed by the Governor his commisson his $35,000 his his → the respective member's chairperson the member's commission the member's $65,000 commission

  amended

• N.J.S.A. 52:9M-2

  2. , including, but not limited to, investigating fraud, waste, and abuse of taxpayer funds Allegations concerning the misconduct of any civil or criminal enforcement personnel at all levels of State and local government, including, but not limited to, those involving a State or county prosecutor or any member of a prosecution team, including detectives; however, the commission shall not exercise its powers in a way that interferes with an ongoing civil or criminal investigation or prosecution; and d. other , , and as otherwise provided in P.L.1968, c.266 (C.52:9M-1 et seq.).

  amended

• N.J.S.A. 52:9M-4

  concurrent ; provided, however, that if the requests for investigations from the Legislature, the Governor or the head of any department, board, bureau, commission, authority or other agency created by the State or to which the State is a party, they , by resolution, or the Attorney General in the case of a legislative request, to review those requests upon which it finds itself unable to proceed → 4. either House of of that House , , . In the event any such investigatory request would the commission to provide additional resources

  amended

• N.J.S.A. 52:9M-5

  other co-operate → 5. , State or local cooperate ,

  amended

• N.J.S.A. 52:9M-8

  any criminal ⟦INS⟧or civil⟦/INS⟧ wrongdoing immediately → during the course of an investigation, sufficient or civil a potential violation of the laws of this State , at an appropriate time during the course of that investigation, or, if appropriate, another prosecutorial or investigatory authority. e. Whenever a criminal referral is made against a prosecutor, the commission may notify the Office of Attorney Ethics. Whenever a criminal referral is made against a detective who is part of a prosecution team, the commission may notify the Attorney General or the county prosecutor, as appropriate.

  amended

• N.J.S.A. 52:9M-9

  The an executive director, counsel, investigators, accountants, and such other persons as it may deem necessary ; and to Investigators and accountants appointed by the commission shall be and have all the powers of peace officers → To manage day-to-day operations, the a qualified individual with the title of State Inspector General, who shall also act as the commission's executive director. Employees of the commission, including the State Inspector General, shall be hired at will and . The commission shall The State Inspector General shall be responsible for acting as the lead investigator for the commission, supervising all investigations the commission undertakes in connection with its responsibilities, carrying out the day-to-day operations of the commission, and otherwise ensuring the commission is discharging its duties and powers pursuant to sections 2 and 5 of P.L.1968, c.266 (C.52:9M-2 and C.52:9M-5)

  amended

• N.J.S.A. 52:9M-12

  subpena on subpenaed subpena subpena subpena said him → subpoena in connection with only subpoenaed subpoena subpoena subpoena the the person

  amended

• N.J.S.A. 52:9M-12.1

  him he his his his his his his him his in his → the person the person , the witness's the witness's the witness's the witness's the witness's the witness's the person the person's on the person's

  amended

• N.J.S.A. 52:9M-14

  co-operation → 14. a. , cooperation b. Whenever a person places a request with a public agency for a record that has been provided to the commission during the course of an investigation and that record was open for public inspection, examination, or copying before the investigation commenced, the public agency from which the commission obtained the record shall comply with the request pursuant to P.L.1963, c.73 (C.47:1A-1.1 et seq.), provided that the request does not in any way identify the record sought by means of a reference to the commission's investigation or to an investigation by any other public agency, including, but not limited to, a reference to a subpoena issued pursuant to the investigation. Requests for records made to the commission pursuant to this section shall be referred to the agency that initially provided the records to the commission.

  amended

• N.J.S.A. 52:9M-15

  shall disclose shall disclose or any who misdemeanor until September 1, 1979 when such person shall be guilty of a Any member or employee of the commission who shall violate this section shall be dismissed from his office or discharged from his employment. for libel or slander his subpena subpena such subpoena or by P.L.2001, c.404 → discloses, discloses , the Attorney General, the shall be guilty of a crime of the third degree. Any , , , , , , libel or slander-related the member or employee's , subpoena subpoena an order to quash a subpoena or any subpoena or other information request or discovery demand if, consistent with the applicable precedent of the New Jersey Supreme Court, the confidentiality of the investigative files being sought is necessary for the commission's investigations to proceed unobstructed. Such files shall be afforded an equivalent level of secrecy to that of grand jury proceedings conducted in this State e. Members or employees of the commission who violate subsections a. of this section shall be dismissed from their office or discharged from their employment.

  amended

• N.J.S.A. 52:9M-17

  he his either he him him him his such 11 him him him → 17. the person the person's the District of , any one the person the person the person the person the person's the of P.L.1979, c. 254 (C.52:9M-17.1) 12 of P.L.1968, c.266 (C.52:9M-12) the person the person the person

  amended

• N.J.S.A. 52:9M-17.1

  the act this act P.L.1968, c.266 (C.52:9M-1 et seq.) high misdemeanor until September 1, 1979, when such person shall be guilty of a he chairman he → 13. P.L.1968, c.266 (C.52:9M-1 et seq.), P.L.1979, c.254 (C.52:9M-1.1 et al.) , the person chairperson the defendant

  amended

Action History

1. June 30, 2026

   INT 1RS REF SJU

Sponsors

• Nicholas P. Scutari · Primary

Subjects