Bill Text: NJ S3957 | 2024-2025 | Regular Session | Amended

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Bill Title: Allows public bodies to continue using newspapers for required public notices and legal advertisements until certain specified date regardless of format.

Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-1)

Status: (Engrossed) 2024-12-19 - Passed by the Senate (36-0) [S3957 Detail]

Download: New_Jersey-2024-S3957-Amended.html

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[First Reprint]

SENATE, No. 3957

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

221st LEGISLATURE

 

INTRODUCED DECEMBER 12, 2024

 

 

Sponsored by:

Senator  PAUL A. SARLO

District 36 (Bergen and Passaic)

Senator  NICHOLAS P. SCUTARI

District 22 (Somerset and Union)

Senator  ANTHONY M. BUCCO

District 25 (Morris and Passaic)

 

 

 

 

SYNOPSIS

     Allows public bodies to continue using newspapers for required public notices and legal advertisements until certain specified date regardless of format.

 

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

     As reported by the Senate Judiciary Committee on December 16, 2024, with amendments.

  

An Act allowing publication of required public notices and legal advertisements in certain newspapers for extended period regardless of format.

 

     Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

 

     1.    ¹a.¹      Notwithstanding any law, rule, regulation, or municipal ordinance to the contrary, a newspaper utilized ¹or permitted to be utilized¹ by a ¹person for the purpose of complying with any legal requirement, or a¹ public body, as defined in section 3 of the "¹Senator Byron M. Baer¹ Open Public Meetings Act," P.L.1975, c.231 (C.10:4-8), from January 1, 2024 through December 31, 2024 for the purpose of complying with ¹R.S.35:1-2.2 or¹ any ¹other¹ requirements for issuing or publishing a public notice or legal advertisement, including ¹, but not limited to,¹ for providing adequate notice of a meeting, ¹[and designated as an official newspaper,] the solicitation of bids, qualifications, or proposals, or the publication of any ordinances, synopses, or summaries of official documents,¹ shall be deemed eligible for the same purposes from January 1, 2025 to March 1, 2025 ¹[regardless of physical or digital format for] if¹ the newspaper's publication ¹is in print or electronic format.  The price to be paid for publishing all public notices or legal advertisements in print or electronic format as described in this section shall not exceed the rates established pursuant to R.S.35:2-1.  A fee shall not be charged, and registration shall not be required, for viewing public notices or legal advertisements published in an electronic format¹.

     ¹b.   For the purposes of this section, "electronic format" means an Internet website and other technology having electrical, digital, magnetic, wireless, optical, electromagnetic, or similar capabilities that is operated by or for a newspaper for publication.¹

 

     2.    This act shall take effect immediately.