Sponsored by:
Assemblyman WAYNE P. DEANGELO
District 14 (Mercer and Middlesex)
Assemblyman DAVID P. RIBLE
District 11 (Monmouth)
SYNOPSIS
Permits local unit to contract with private entities to lease advertising space on local unit's official Internet website.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning local unit Internet websites and supplementing Title 47 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. For the purposes of this section:
"Commissioner" means the Commissioner of Community Affairs;
"Department" means the Department of Community Affairs; and
"Local unit" means any political subdivision of the State, including their agencies and independent authorities.
b. In accordance with rules adopted by the department, and to the extent allowed under federal law, a local unit may contract with a private entity to lease advertising space on the local unit's official Internet website.
c. The department shall develop a standard contract for the lease of advertising space on an Internet website under this section. The standard contract developed by the department shall include but not be limited to terms that:
(1) provide for the payment of a fee by the person leasing the advertising space in an amount set by department rule; and
(2) require the advertisements to comply with the rules adopted by the department relating to content and composition.
d. The commissioner shall promulgate regulations pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.) necessary to effectuate the provisions of this section. The rules shall include, but not be limited to:
(1) guidelines relating to the content and composition of advertisements that may be placed on a local unit Internet website;
(2) procedures for procuring advertisements that relate, to the greatest extent practicable, to the stated purpose of the local unit;
(3) policies that require:
(a) each advertisement to be clearly labeled on the Internet website as an advertisement; and
(b) a disclaimer on each Internet website that clearly states that the local unit does not endorse the products or services advertised on the Internet website;
(4) a schedule of fees to be charged for the lease of advertising space under this section; and
(5) the amount of the lease payments that a private entity may retain for administering the advertising lease contracts.
e. A private entity administering advertising lease contracts under this section shall collect the fees due from the leasing entities. After deduction of the private entity's fees, the remainder of the fees collected under this section shall be forwarded to the treasurer of the local unit.
2. This act shall take effect on the first day of the seventh month next following enactment, although subsection d., regarding the promulgation of rules and regulations, shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill provides that a local unit may contract with a private entity to lease advertising space on the local unit's official Internet website, in accordance with regulations promulgated by the Department of Community Affairs (DCA) and to the extent allowed under federal law.
The bill requires DCA to develop a standard contract for the lease of advertising space on an Internet website, to include terms that provide for the payment of a fee by the person leasing the advertising space, and require advertisements to comply with provisions relating to content and composition.
The bill requires DCA to promulgate regulations to establish guidelines relating to the content and composition of advertisements that may be placed on an Internet website; procedures for procuring advertisements that relate, to the greatest extent practicable, to the stated purpose of the local unit; policies that require each advertisement to be clearly labeled on the Internet website as an advertisement and a disclaimer on each Internet website that clearly states that the local unit does not endorse the products or services advertised on the state agency Internet website; a schedule of fees to be charged for the lease of advertising space; and the amount of lease payments that a private entity may retain for administering the lease contracts. The bill requires a private entity administering the lease contracts to collect the fees due from the leasing entities and, after deducting the private entity's fees, to forward the remainder of the fees collected to the treasurer of the local unit.
The bill would take effect on the first day of the seventh month next following enactment, in order to give DCA time to promulgate regulations necessary to effectuate its provisions.