New Jersey · State Assembly · 2026–2027 session
What does the bill say about Islamophobia and free speech?
This proposal would tell officials how to assess anti-Muslim discriminatory intent in certain existing civil and criminal matters. It does not create a standalone crime of criticizing Islam.
Last verified official action: committee referral
Reviewed November 11, 2026 · Original text verified. Current official status page did not expose its live action record to this review. This is a dated snapshot, not a live feed.
Section 2(b) would require public officials and law enforcement to consider the bill’s definition when assessing whether anti-Muslim discriminatory intent exists under covered civil or criminal discrimination rules.
This is about assessing intent in existing matters. It is not a new standalone offense or a new penalty.
“It makes criticizing Islam a crime” goes beyond the introduced text. The bill also does not make every criticism immune from consideration in an otherwise lawful discrimination inquiry.
How a definition would be applied in a particular case is a separate legal question. This page is not legal advice.
Translate the sports talk: The sponsor proposes a rule. Cosponsors sign onto it. A committee referral puts it into review; it is not passage and it is not a court ruling.
Section 2(a) defines Islamophobia as “a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness, which may be expressed as hatred toward Muslim persons.” It then lists 13 examples.
Example 1 includes “hatred or severe disparagement towards Muslim persons or their culture.” Example 5 includes stereotypical allegations and “claims of a demographic threat posed by Muslims or of a Muslim takeover.” Other examples address discrimination, harassment, violence and collective blame.
These are selected excerpts, not the complete definition. Read all 13 examples and the speech safeguard together in the official text. Section 3 says the act would take effect immediately if enacted; that does not mean it is already law.
The text explicitly preserves protections under the First Amendment and New Jersey Constitution Article I, paragraph 6.
Section 2(a) also excludes criticism of Muslim-majority countries comparable to criticism of other countries. Read the complete definition and examples in the original PDF, not an isolated excerpt.
The Algemeiner’s November 10 report identifies Republican Assemblyman Paul Kanitra as raising concern that criticism of Islamic texts, history and demographics could be treated as evidence of discriminatory intent.
That is the reported concern, not a finding that the bill criminalizes criticism. The express constitutional safeguard is relevant counterevidence to that broader claim.
Reporting limitation: this article was available through indexed excerpts; direct access failed during this review. No broader consensus among civil-liberties groups was verified.
Separate three things: the definition’s wording; what officials would be required to consider; and whether a particular application would violate protected speech. The introduced text establishes the first two. Predictions about future prosecutions or court decisions remain predictions.
Names below come from the cover of the official introduced text. This is the introduced-version roster, not a claim that later additions or withdrawals have been exhaustively checked.
Listed under “Sponsored by” on the bill cover.
Cosponsorship does not equal a recorded vote. Districts, later roster changes and individual explanations have not been verified for this page.
The official January 13 legislative digest records introduction and referral to ASL. LegiScan currently lists the bill pending in the Assembly State and Local Government Committee with no subsequent action or recorded roll call. Its status is a secondary cross-check, not a substitute for the official record.
Coverage gap: The current official bill page’s dynamic status did not load into the research reader. We cannot rule out an update missed by that access gap. Check the official page before relying on a deadline or current action.
This is a New Jersey proposal. It is not a Michigan law or an act of Congress. Michigan officials are not voting on this New Jersey Assembly bill. Its relevance here is understanding a public policy debate and learning to check the text.
No campaign contributions, grants, awards or payments have been traced for this item. Support for a policy is not proof of a payment, coordination or influence. No donor relationship is asserted.
Bill cover and sections 2–3. Primary source for its wording, safeguards and introduced roster.
Use for current text and actions. Dynamic status could not be read during this review.
PDF page 66: introduction and referral.
Secondary tracker; not an official enactment certification.
Attributed criticism; checked through indexed excerpts, not full direct-page access.
Created November 11, 2026. This page distinguishes bill text, reported criticism and missing records. It does not update automatically. Send a newer official record or exact correction through Submit for review.