TRENTON, N.J. — A New Jersey Senate committee has advanced legislation that would allow police departments to select from the five highest-ranked eligible candidates when hiring or promoting law enforcement officers, expanding the current limit of three.
The bill, S-4325, sponsored by Sen. Troy Singleton, D-Burlington, was advanced by the Senate State Government, Wagering, Tourism and Historic Preservation Committee. The legislation would amend the state’s civil service hiring procedures to give law enforcement agencies greater flexibility when filling vacancies.
“Expanding the pool of qualified candidates considered for law enforcement positions will give departments greater flexibility and more options in the recruitment process,” said Senator Singleton (D-Burlington). “By considering more candidates, departments can take a more holistic view of applicants beyond their performance on a test, including qualities like reliability and leadership potential. This will help us build the strongest police forces to keep our communities safe.”
Under current law, appointing authorities regulated by the New Jersey Civil Service Commission generally follow what is known as the “rule of three,” which requires them to select from among the three highest-ranked eligible candidates on an open competitive or promotional list, while taking veterans’ preference into consideration.
Singleton’s legislation would establish a “rule of five” specifically for law enforcement positions, allowing police departments to consider the five highest-ranked eligible candidates when making hiring or promotional decisions.
The proposed change would apply only to law enforcement officer titles. Other appointing authorities regulated by the Civil Service Commission would continue to follow the existing rule of three.
The legislation also includes provisions addressing how candidates are ranked and certified for appointment. Candidates who receive identical scores would retain the same ranking, ensuring that tied scores do not result in different positions on eligibility lists.
Under the bill, regular appointments would be made from complete eligibility lists containing at least five interested and eligible candidates. Provisional appointments would be permitted when a permanent appointment is not made from an incomplete list.
The measure also addresses reemployment lists, requiring candidates on those lists to be certified and appointed according to their ranking. Certifications from reemployment lists would not be considered incomplete under the proposed legislation.
According to the bill statement, the changes are intended to provide police departments with additional options when evaluating qualified applicants while maintaining the Civil Service Commission’s established ranking procedures and veterans’ preference requirements.
The legislation was referred to the Senate Law and Public Safety Committee for further consideration.
