"Low-income community" defined; Civil Service Commission program creation for preparatory courses, funding, law enforcement examinations.

2. a. For the purposes of this section, "low-income community" means any population census tract in which: (1) the poverty rate for such tract is at least 20 percent, or (2) (a) in the case of a tract not located within a metropolitan area, the median family income for such tract does not exceed 80 percent of statewide median family income, or (b) in the case of a tract located within a metropolitan area, the median family income for such tract does not exceed 80 percent of the greater of statewide median family income or the metropolitan area median family income. b. The Civil Service Commission shall create a program with a goal of achieving at least one of the following two objectives: (1) sponsoring free or low-cost preparatory courses for the entry level law enforcement examination for residents of any low-income community or of any municipality in this State with at least one "qualified opportunity zone" as determined under 26 U.S.C. 1400Z-1; or (2) providing, securing, or identifying scholarships for alternate route programs or preparatory courses for the entry level law enforcement examination for residents of any low-income community or of any municipality in this State with at least one "qualified opportunity zone" as determined under 26 U.S.C. 1400Z-1. The commission, or a designee thereof, is authorized to receive gifts, grants, or other financial assistance from private sources for the purpose of sponsoring the courses or funding the scholarships offered pursuant to this section, and entering into agreements related thereto with private sources, including but not limited to non-governmental, non-profit, educational, or charitable entities or institutions. c. The commission may promulgate regulations to effectuate the provisions of this section which shall be effective immediately upon filing with the Office of Administrative Law for a period not to exceed 18 months, and may, thereafter, be amended, adopted or readopted in accordance with the provisions of the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.). L.2021, c.234, s.2.