The New Jersey Senate has passed a bill that changes the jurisdiction of regional municipal courts, which will no longer require them to hear state or county police cases originating outside of the municipalities they serve.

Bill S4040, sponsored by Sen. Vince Polistina, R-Atlantic, and Sen. Joseph A. Lagana, D-Bergen and Passaic, changed the jurisdiction of the regional municipal courts. The courts were allowed under a pilot program. A county, with the cooperation with five or more municipalities and working with the Administrative Office of the Court, could create a regional municipal court. The new court is then operated by the county to consolidate the individual courts of the participating municipalities.