N.J. Admin. Code § 5:1-5.2
In furtherance of 5:1-5.1, this Department's policy is that all personnel actions, including, but without limitation, employment, promotion, demotion, transfer, recruitment, layoff or termination, rates of pay or other forms of compensation and work assignments shall be conducted on a wholly nondiscriminatory basis, and shall be on the basis of merit alone; provided, however, that nothing contained herein shall be construed to forbid the employment or upgrading of those persons who, by reason of prior invidious discrimination on the basis of race, creed, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, affectional or sexual orientation, sex, atypical hereditary cellular or blood trait, or liability for service in the Armed Forces of the United States have been heretofore prevented from attaining their full productive potential.
N.J. Admin. Code § 5:1-5.2
See: 26 New Jersey Register 4866(a), 27 New Jersey Register 877(c).