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a.Notwithstanding any law, rule, or regulation to the contrary, the Civil Service Commission shall establish and maintain a mentoring program for civil service law enforcement applicants who reside in a municipality with a median income at or below 250 percent of the federal poverty level. The program shall be expanded to minority applicants if the results of a properly conducted disparity study demonstrate particularized findings of past discrimination and the program is narrowly tailored to remedy that past discrimination. The purpose of the mentoring program shall be to assist law enforcement applicants through the civil service application and selection process and to help address obstacles unique to their circumstances. The program may be conducted through mentoring projects, incl
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1. a. Notwithstanding any law, rule, or regulation to the contrary, the Civil Service Commission shall establish and maintain a mentoring program for civil service law enforcement applicants who reside in a municipality with a median income at or below 250 percent of the federal poverty level. The program shall be expanded to minority applicants if the results of a properly conducted disparity study demonstrate particularized findings of past discrimination and the program is narrowly tailored to remedy that past discrimination. The purpose of the mentoring program shall be to assist law enforcement applicants through the civil service application and selection process and to help address obstacles unique to their circumstances. The program may be conducted through mentoring projects, including workshops, group discussions, and dissemination of information about civil service practices which provide assistance in overcoming barriers to employment. The program shall be designed to provide a mentor to an applicant for the duration of the exam cycle, until the mentee completes the hiring process. b. As used in this act: "Mentee" means a civil service law enforcement applicant participating in the mentoring program established pursuant to subsection a. of this section. "Mentor" means a volunteer who agrees to participate in the mentoring program established pursuant to subsection a. of this section. A mentor may be a current law enforcement officer in good standing who obtained the current law enforcement position through the civil service process, a former law enforcement officer who retired or resigned in good standing who obtained the law enforcement position through the civil service process, or any other person deemed appropriate by the Civil Service Commission. c. The Civil Service Commission shall develop criteria to determine eligibility in the mentoring program as a mentor and as a mentee. Monies shall not be provided to a mentor to participate in the program and fees shall not be charged to a mentee to participate in the program. When possible, the mentor shall be of the same racial or ethnic background as the mentee. d. A mentor or mentee may be removed from the program for good cause as determined by the Civil Service Commission. A mentee shall be removed from the program upon the mentee's acceptance of an offer of employment. An applicant may participate in the program as a mentee a maximum of three times within a 10-year period. After successfully completing the program, a former mentee may be eligible to participate in the program as a mentor. e. At least once a year, the Civil Service Commission shall review the mentoring program for its efficacy, and make any necessary adjustments to continue to meet the needs and purpose of the program. f. The Civil Service Commission shall develop rules and regulations to effectuate the purposes of P.L.2021, c.235. L.2021, c.235.