Assemblyman Jeff Van Drew

VAN DREW MEASURE REQUIRING STATE REPORTS BE PUBLISHED ON THE INTERNET ADVANCES
Would Make Information More Readily Available, Create Cost Savings for State

(TRENTON) - An Assembly committee today released legislation Assemblyman Jeff Van Drew sponsored to require reports and publications produced by the State of New Jersey be made available on the Internet, in lieu of printing and distributing hard copies.ASSEMBLY DEMOCRATS
NEWS RELEASE

FOR RELEASE:
June 1, 2006

CONTACT:
Assemblyman Van Drew
(609) 465-0700
James Sverapa IV
(609) 292-7065

VAN DREW MEASURE REQUIRING STATE REPORTS BE PUBLISHED ON THE INTERNET ADVANCES
Would Make Information More Readily Available, Create Cost Savings for State

(TRENTON) - An Assembly committee today released legislation Assemblyman Jeff Van Drew sponsored to require reports and publications produced by the State of New Jersey be made available on the Internet, in lieu of printing and distributing hard copies.

The legislation was drafted following a February news conference, in which Van Drew and Assemblyman Reed Gusicora (D-Mercer) called for a halt of the state's publication of slick brochures and glossy, full-color reports as an effective way to save the state money.

"In our current fiscal crisis, it is grossly irresponsible, not to mention unnecessary, to produce slick color brochures and fancy reports while we struggle to adequately fund charity care, senior programs and fulfill our state pension obligations," said Van Drew (D-Cape May/Cumberland/Atlantic). "Before we look at anything else in this budget, we need to cut out governmental waste. The printing of these reports is a prime example of an unnecessary cost that can easily be cut."

The Van Drew measure (A-2715) would require that any reports or publications produced by the state or state agencies to be submitted to the governor, the Legislature, or the public be made available via the Internet, as opposed to in print.

The measure also provides for gubernatorial, legislative and public notification of the availability of these documents as they are published online. Anyone unable to access the reports online would be able to request a printed copy of the document from the state.

Van Drew noted that many of the reports currently printed are grossly underutilized by the intended recipients and are produced at a cost so great that the non-partisan Office of Legislative Services is currently unable to put a final cost on the amount of state funds being spent on annual reports and brochures.

"These glossy reports are like a constant tidal wave of wasteful and needless spending," said Van Drew. "In this age of e-mail and Internet-based communications, these printed reports serve only as a costly throw-back to a bygone era of communications."

The Assembly State Government Committee released the legislation 5 to 0. It now heads to the Assembly Speaker, who decides if and when to post the bill for a floor vote.

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