Bill > S4221

Introduced Session

This bill makes certain changes to the public's access to government records. Specifically the bill: ? exempts from disclosure e-mail addresses, home telephone numbers, unlisted or otherwise and cell phone numbers; ? provides for a uniform per page rate for copying government records; ? requires the Government Records Council to develop a form to be used by records custodians that will allow persons to opt-out of having their address made public; ? permits a records custodian to require the requester to obtain the record from the agency website when the information requested is readily available on the website; ? clarifies special service charges includes costs of labor; ? requires the record custodian to accept a record request made on a document other than the adopted form if it contains a notice that it is an OPRA request and contains the information required on the adopted form; ? provides records custodians a seven day extension to comply with large or complicated requests; ? requires the requestor to pick up the requested documents within fourteen business days of the records being available; ? requires contact information for the custodian of a public agency to be included on the agency website; ? requires mediation for all complaints; and ? requires that attorney's fees be awarded only when a knowing and willful violation is found. Also, this bill will permit a Superior Court to issue a protective order limiting the number and scope of requests a requestor may make under the open public records act, N.J.S.A.47:1A-1 et seq. In appropriate circumstances, the court may eliminate a public agency's duty to respond to requests from the requestor in the future. The bill will require the court, in issuing the order, to determine that the requestor has sought records under the act for an improper purpose, including, but not limited to, the harassment of a public agency or its employees.

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Fred Madden (D)*, 

Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate State Government, Wagering, Tourism & Historic Preservation Committee (on 11/14/2019)

Official Document