Bill Text: NJ A1707 | 2010-2011 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Permits casino employees to serve on Atlantic City governing body in certain circumstances.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 4-2)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2010-01-25 - Transferred to Assembly Regulatory Oversight and Gaming Committee [A1707 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2010-A1707-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
214th LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2010 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman JOHN J. BURZICHELLI
District 3 (Salem, Cumberland and Gloucester)
Assemblyman MATTHEW W. MILAM
District 1 (Cape May, Atlantic and Cumberland)
Assemblyman NELSON T. ALBANO
District 1 (Cape May, Atlantic and Cumberland)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblymen Polistina, Amodeo and Moriarty
SYNOPSIS
Permits casino employees to serve on Atlantic City governing body in certain circumstances.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel
An Act concerning casino employees' service on the governing body of Atlantic City, amending P.L.1981, c.142 and P.L.1977, c.110, and supplementing P.L.1971, c.182 (C.52:13D-12 et seq.).
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Section 4 of P.L.1981, c.142 (C.52:13D-17.2) is amended to read as follows:
4. a. As used in this section "person" means any State officer or employee subject to financial disclosure by law or executive order and any other State officer or employee with responsibility for matters affecting casino activity; any special State officer or employee with responsibility for matters affecting casino activity; the Governor; any member of the Legislature or any full-time member of the Judiciary; any full-time professional employee of the Office of the Governor, or the Legislature; members of the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority; the head of a principal department; the assistant or deputy heads of a principal department, including all assistant and deputy commissioners; the head of any division of a principal department; any member of the governing body, or the municipal judge or the municipal attorney of a municipality wherein a casino is located; any member of or attorney for the planning board or zoning board of adjustment of a municipality wherein a casino is located, or any professional planner, or consultant regularly employed or retained by such planning board or zoning board of adjustment.
b. No State officer or employee, nor any person, nor any member of the immediate family of any State officer or employee, or person, nor any partnership, firm or corporation with which any such State officer or employee or person is associated or in which he has an interest, nor any partner, officer, director or employee while he is associated with such partnership, firm, or corporation, shall hold, directly or indirectly, an interest in, or hold employment with, or represent, appear for, or negotiate on behalf of, any holder of, or applicant for, a casino license, or any holding or intermediary company with respect thereto, in connection with any cause, application, or matter, except as provided in section 3 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), and except that (1) a State officer or employee other than a State officer or employee included in the definition of person, and (2) a member of the immediate family of a State officer or employee, or of a person, may hold employment with the holder of, or applicant for, a casino license if, in the judgment of the State Ethics Commission, the Joint Legislative Committee on Ethical Standards, or the Supreme Court, as appropriate, such employment will not interfere with the responsibilities of the State officer or employee, or person, and will not create a conflict of interest, or reasonable risk of the public perception of a conflict of interest, on the part of the State officer or employee, or person. No special State officer or employee without responsibility for matters affecting casino activity, excluding those serving in the Departments of Education, Health and Senior Services, and Human Services and the Commission on Higher Education, shall hold, directly or indirectly, an interest in, or represent, appear for, or negotiate on behalf of, any holder of, or applicant for, a casino license, or any holding or intermediary company with respect thereto, in connection with any cause, application, or matter. However, a special State officer or employee without responsibility for matters affecting casino activity may hold employment directly with any holder of or applicant for a casino license or any holding or intermediary company thereof and if so employed may hold, directly or indirectly, an interest in, or represent, appear for, or negotiate on behalf of, his employer, except as otherwise prohibited by law.
c. No person or any member of his immediate family, nor any partnership, firm or corporation with which such person is associated or in which he has an interest, nor any partner, officer, director or employee while he is associated with such partnership, firm or corporation, shall, within two years next subsequent to the termination of the office or employment of such person, hold, directly or indirectly, an interest in, or hold employment with, or represent, appear for or negotiate on behalf of, any holder of, or applicant for, a casino license in connection with any cause, application or matter, or any holding or intermediary company with respect to such holder of, or applicant for, a casino license in connection with any phase of casino development, permitting, licensure or any other matter whatsoever related to casino activity, except as provided in section 3 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), and except that:
(1) a member of the immediate family of a person may hold employment with the holder of, or applicant for, a casino license if, in the judgment of the State Ethics Commission, the Joint Legislative Committee on Ethical Standards, or the Supreme Court, as appropriate, such employment will not interfere with the responsibilities of the person and will not create a conflict of interest, or reasonable risk of the public perception of a conflict of interest, on the part of the person;
(2) an employee who is terminated as a result of a reduction in the workforce at the agency where employed, other than an employee who held a policy-making management position at any time during the five years prior to termination of employment, may, at any time prior to the end of the two-year period, accept employment with the holder of, or applicant for, a casino license if, in the judgment of the State Ethics Commission, the Joint Legislative Committee on Ethical Standards, or the Supreme Court, as appropriate, such employment will not create a conflict of interest, or reasonable risk of the public perception of a conflict of interest, on the part of the employee. In no case shall the restrictions of this subsection apply to a secretarial or clerical employee. Nothing herein contained shall alter or amend the post-employment restrictions applicable to members and employees of the Casino Control Commission and employees and agents of the Division of Gaming Enforcement pursuant to subsection b. (2) of section 59 and to section 60 of P.L.1977, c.110 (C.5:12-59 and C.5:12-60); and
(3) any partnership, firm or corporation engaged in the practice of law with which a former member of the Judiciary is associated, and any partner, officer, director or employee thereof, other than the former member, may represent, appear for or negotiate on behalf of any holder of, or applicant for, a casino license in connection with any cause, application or matter or any holding company or intermediary company with respect to such holder of, or applicant for, a casino license in connection with any phase of casino development, permitting, licensure or any other matter whatsoever related to casino activity, and the former member shall not be barred from association with such partnership, firm or corporation, if the former member: (1) is screened, for a period of two years next subsequent to the termination of the former member's employment, from personal participation in any such representation, appearance or negotiation; and (2) the former member is associated with the partnership, firm or corporation in a position considered "of counsel," which does not entail any equity interest in the partnership, firm or corporation.
d. This section shall not apply to the spouse of a State officer or employee, which State officer or employee is without responsibility for matters affecting casino activity, who becomes the spouse subsequent to the State officer's or employee's appointment or employment as a State officer or employee and who is not individually or directly employed by a holder of, or applicant for, a casino license, or any holding or intermediary company.
e. The Joint Legislative Committee on Ethical Standards and the State Ethics Commission, as appropriate, shall forthwith determine and publish, and periodically update, a list of those positions in State government with responsibility for matters affecting casino activity.
f. No person shall solicit or accept, directly or indirectly, any complimentary service or discount from any casino applicant or licensee which he knows or has reason to know is other than a service or discount that is offered to members of the general public in like circumstance.
g. No person shall influence, or attempt to influence, by use of his official authority, the decision of the commission or the investigation of the division in any application for licensure or in any proceeding to enforce the provisions of this act or the regulations of the commission. Any such attempt shall be promptly reported to the Attorney General; provided, however, that nothing in this section shall be deemed to proscribe a request for information by any person concerning the status of any application for licensure or any proceeding to enforce the provisions of this act or the regulations of the commission.
h. Any person who willfully violates the provisions of this section is a disorderly person and shall be subject to a fine not to exceed $1,000, or imprisonment not to exceed six months, or both.
In addition, for violations of subsection c. of this section occurring after the effective date of P.L.2005, c.382, a civil penalty of not less than $500 nor more than $10,000 shall be imposed upon a former State officer or employee or former special State officer or employee of a State agency in the Executive Branch upon a finding of a violation by the State Ethics Commission, which penalty may be collected in a summary proceeding pursuant to the "Penalty Enforcement Law of 1999," P.L.1999, c.274 (C.2A:58-10 et seq.).
(cf: P.L.2005, c.382, s.4)
2. Section 138 of P.L.1977, c.110 (C.5:12-138) is amended to read as follows:
138. No applicant for or holder of a casino license, nor any holding, intermediary or subsidiary company thereof, nor any officer, director, casino key employee or principal employee of an applicant for or holder of a casino license or of any holding, intermediary or subsidiary company thereof nor any person or agent on behalf of any such applicant, holder, company or person, shall directly or indirectly, pay or contribute any money or thing of value to any candidate for nomination or election to any public office in this State, or to any committee of any political party in this State, or to any group, committee or association organized in support of any such candidate or political party; except that the provisions of this section shall not be construed to prohibit any individual who is a candidate for the governing body of Atlantic City from contributing to the candidate's own campaign.
(cf: P.L.1977, c.110, s.138)
3. (New section) Notwithstanding the provisions of section 4 of P.L.1981, c.142 (C.52:13D-17.2), a member of the governing body of a municipality wherein a casino is located, other than the mayor, and a member of the immediate family thereof, may hold employment with the holder of, or applicant for, a casino license, or any holding or intermediary company with respect thereto, while serving in that elective office and thereafter, if that member of the governing body, or member of the immediate family thereof, held that specific employment when that member of the governing body took office. Such a member of the governing body shall consult with the Local Finance Board in the Division of Local Government Services in the Department of Community Affairs regarding any potential conflict of interests that may arise as a result of the employment while serving on the governing body. The board shall provide guidance to the member with respect to the "Local Government Ethics Law," P.L.1991, c.29 (C.40A:9-22.1 et seq.).
4. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
The purpose of this bill is to allow casino employees to serve on the Atlantic City governing body. The bill maintains in the law the existing prohibition against casino employment by members of the Atlantic City governing body, certain business associates, and members of their immediate family, but allows casino employees to serve on the Atlantic City governing body, other than as the mayor, while continuing to hold their casino employment only if they held casino employment upon taking that public office. The bill, requires a member of the governing body who is employed by a casino, or whose immediate family member is so employed, to consult with the Local Finance Board in the Division of Local Government Services in the Department of Community Affairs regarding any potential conflict of interests that may arise as a result of the employment while the member is serving on the governing body. The bill directs the board to provide guidance to the member with respect to the "Local Government Ethics Law."
The bill also creates an exception to the current prohibition on political contributions by high-level employees of casinos and certain related businesses that would allow such an individual who is a candidate for the governing body of Atlantic City to contribute to his or her own campaign.
