Sponsored by:
Senator PATRICK J. DIEGNAN, JR.
District 18 (Middlesex)
SYNOPSIS
Imposes limits on fees charged for discovery in municipal court matters.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning fees for discovery in municipal court cases and supplementing Title 2B of the New Jersey Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Fees charged for discovery in matters pending in a municipal court shall not exceed fees specified in section 6 of P.L.2001, c.404 (C.47:1A-5).
2. A person charged an amount greater than the amount specified in section 1 of P.L. c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill) may seek the relief specified in section 7 of P.L.2001, c.404 (C.47:1A-6).
3. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill imposes limits on the fees that may be charged for discovery in municipal court cases.
The bill limits the charge for these documents to an amount no greater than the amount specified in section 6 of P.L.2001, c.404 (C.47:1A-5), the Open Public Records Act (OPRA). Under that statute, the fee for a government record in the form of printed matter is $0.05 per letter size page and $0.05 per legal size page, unless the public agency can demonstrate that its actual costs for duplication of a government record exceed those rates.
The bill also provides that a person charged an amount greater than that may seek the relief specified in OPRA: the person may file an action in the Superior Court or file a complaint with the Government Records Council established pursuant to section 7 of P.L.2001, c.404 (C.47:1A-6).