Amends State Constitution to prohibit slavery or involuntary servitude.
SCR 16 proposes adding a new constitutional provision to New Jersey's state constitution explicitly prohibiting slavery and involuntary servitude in all circumstances, including as punishment for a crime. This would directly affect all residents, particularly incarcerated individuals who currently perform mandatory, low-paid labor in state prisons. The amendment would ban forcing anyone to work against their will for the state's benefit - even if compensated - but would not prohibit voluntary work programs for inmates. It requires voter approval via referendum after legislative passage, as the current constitution lacks any such prohibition.
Bill status
died
1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2026
Committee Review
Floor Vote
Governor
Introduced Jan 13, 2026
Last action May 4, 2026
Floor votes
How they voted
No floor votes recorded yet.
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
2
Key actions
0
Committee
0
Jan 13, 2026
Introduced
Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate State Government, Wagering, Tourism & Historic Preservation Committee
upper
2 primary · 2 co-sponsors
Sponsors
Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Brian Stack
DDemocratic
P
Shirley Turner
DDemocratic
Co
Andrew Zwicker
DDemocratic
Co
Britnee Timberlake
DDemocratic
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