Sexual Harassment Policy Bills Stuck In NJ Legislature

NEW JERSEY — Since New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced he’s resigning amid accusations he sexually harassed multiple women, questions have arisen about New Jersey’s policies to curtail issues of the same nature from happening within its own government.

Gov. Phil Murphy's administration negotiated a $1 million settlement in May 2020 after Katie Brennan accused a member of Murphy's campaign staff, Albert Alvarez, of sexually assaulting her.

Three pieces of legislation pertaining to sexual harassment policies, however, have continued to sit in limbo within the New Jersey Legislature.

What are these bills and what's their status?

The first is S-3389, which establishes the Office on Discrimination and Harassment Prevention. The bill also creates a training program on an anti-harassment and anti-discrimination policies, earmarking $2 million to start. With Senators Loretta Weinberg, D-37th Dist. and Vin Gopal, D-11th Dist. as its primary sponsors, the bill - introduced in January - was passed in the senate unanimously on June 30. However, its companion version A-5354 continues to sit in New Jersey’s Assembly since its primary sponsors introduced it in February. After Assemblywomen Eliana Pintor Marin D-29th Dist., Valerie Vainieri Huttle D-37th Dist. and Joanne Downey of D-11th Dist., introduced it, it has remained with the Assembly State and Local Government Committee since Feb. 22.

On July 7, the Office of Legislative Services prepared a fiscal estimate for the initiative, with it undetermined at this point, how much it will cost to run the training and office after the first year, according to the estimate.

The second bill, which sets up a process to investigate harassment and discrimination allegations, also sponsored by Weinberg, has remained at a standstill.

Bill S-3077 was introduced on Oct. 22, 2020 and referred to the Senate State Government, Wagering, Tourism & Historic Preservation Committee. That committee transferred it on Dec. 7, 2020 to the Senate Law and Public Safety Committee.

The Assembly version of the bill, sponsored by Vainieri Huttle and Assemblywoman Carol A. Murphy of D-7th Dist., A-4891, continues to linger with the Assembly Judiciary Committee, since it was introduced on Oct. 26.

The third, a bill that Weinberg also sponsored with Dawn Marie Addiego of the D-8th Dist., was intended to codify a “state workplace anti-harassment and discrimination policy.” That bill, S-3078, although passed in the senate on Dec. 17, 2020, has transferred to the Assembly Women and Children Committee on Feb. 22.

Since Vainieri Huttle and Yvonne Lopez of D-19th Dist., introduced their version of it A-4892 in the Assembly on Oct. 26, 2020, it too continues to sits with the Assembly and Women and Children Committee since this past February.

Questions or comments about this story? Have a news tip? Contact me at: jennifer.miller@patch.com.