A New Jersey Senate committee is taking up a bill that would require out-of-state law enforcement agencies to notify state officials if they want to conduct counterterrorism surveillance operations here.

The impetus for the bill came from a series of articles by The Associated Press that revealed the NYPD operated secretly in New Jersey neighborhoods where Muslims lived and worked. They spied on Muslim organizations, infiltrated Muslim student groups and videotaped mosque-goers.

The NYPD has said its operations were lawful and necessary to keep the city safe. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has said the NYPD can gather intelligence anywhere in the country it wants and is not required to tell local authorities.

The bill has already been passed by the state Assembly.

(AP)