Cryan, Greenwald, Moriarty Bill to Allow Government Notices, Information Via Internet Advances

CRYAN/GREENWALD/MORIARTY BILL TO ALLOW GOVERNMENT NOTICES, INFORMATION VIA INTERNET ADVANCES

(TRENTON) - Legislation Assemblymen Joseph Cryan, Louis D. Greenwald, and Paul D. Moriarty sponsored to expand state and local government information publication requirements to the Internet was released today by an Assembly committee.

"We have a responsibility to the public to ensure simple, easy access to government records and notices," said Cryan (D-Union).  "With Internet access and usage continually on the rise, it makes good sense to allow the public to access meeting notices and other government documents electronically."

Under current law, New Jersey government publication requirements are only legally fulfilled through publication of information in newspaper ads.

The Assembly members' measure (A-1105) would allow the state, counties, and municipalities to comply with existing publication requirements by allowing government and public bodies to post information and documents to the Internet, via the organizations' official Web pages.

The sponsors noted that, under the bill, government units would still be able to place those documents in newspapers.   The measure would bring the rest of the state's publication requirements in line with current public meeting notice requirement standards and would not affect notices public bodies are currently required to transmit to newspapers under the Open Public Meetings Act (OPMA).

The legislators also noted that government agencies and public bodies could save money by making required information available via the Internet.

"In our current fiscal climate, we should be taking any and all steps necessary to reduce the operating cost of government," said Greenwald (D-Camden).  "Utilizing the power and reach of the Internet can improve people's access to government information and save them money at the same time."

"Modernizing the way government communicates with the public is a step that has been long overdue in New Jersey," said Moriarty (D-Gloucester).  "We must embrace every opportunity to make state and local government more transparent."

The Assembly Commerce and Economic Development Committee unanimously released the measure.  It now heads to the Assembly Speaker, who decides if and when to post it for a floor vote.

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