CRYAN/CHIVUKULA/GREENSTEIN BILL SETTING UNIFORM FEES FOR PUBLIC DOCUMENTS CLEARS COMMITTEE(TRENTON) - The Assembly State Government Committee today released legislation Assembly members Joseph Cryan, Upendra Chivukula and Linda Greenstein sponsored to set lower and more uniform fees for copies of official state government documents.Under current law, document copying fees vary widely, with some state departments and agencies allowed to charge residents seeking information up to $10 per page."If private businesses were to have the same copying fees as some state agencies, there'd already be a consumer-protection laws in place," said Cryan (D-Union). "Government shouldn't be allowed to charge an arm and a leg, either. There's no reason to overcharge for public information."Under the bill (A-1095), the cost that could be charged to an individual for public records could not exceed 10 cents per page for letter-size copies or 15 cents per page for legal-size copies. The fees would be applicable to documents from the Office of the State Treasurer or the Board of Public Utilities, motor vehicle accident reports and other records available under the Open Public Records Act. Court documents would not be covered."The exorbitant fees some government offices charge act as a deterrent to anyone seeking public information," said Chivukula (D-Somerset/Middlesex). "It's plain wrong when high prices can be used to prevent concerned residents from being able to access information.""Quite simply, government should not be making huge profits on the sale of public information," said Greenstein (D-Middlesex/Mercer).The bill was released 5-0 and now heads to the Assembly Speaker, who decides if and when to post it for a floor vote.On the Net The Assembly Democratic Web site NJ Assembly Dems on YouTube NJ Assembly Dems e-mail alerts NJ Assembly Dems on Twitter NJ Assembly Dems on Flickr