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 introduced.

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.    Notwithstanding any law, rule, regulation, or municipal ordinance to the contrary, a newspaper utilized by a public body, as defined in section 3 of the "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 any requirements for issuing or publishing a public notice or legal advertisement, including for providing adequate notice of a meeting, and designated as an official newspaper, shall be deemed eligible for the same purposes from January 1, 2025 to March 1, 2025 regardless of physical or digital format for the newspaper's publication.

     2.    This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

     This bill provides that a newspaper utilized by a public body, as defined in section 3 of the "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 any requirements for issuing or publishing a public notice or legal advertisement, including for providing adequate notice of a meeting, and designated as an official newspaper, is deemed eligible for the same purposes from January 1, 2025 to March 1, 2025 regardless of physical or digital format for the newspaper's publication.