Bill > S1377

Introduced Session

This bill provides that a municipality, county, or political subdivision of the State entering into a sister city or political subdivision pairing agreement with any group outside of the United States is required to apply for and obtain approval by the Secretary of State before entering into the agreement. A sister city, county, or political subdivision pairing relationship can be a broad-based, long-term partnership between two communities often in two countries. A sister city, county, or political subdivision pairing relationship is often officially recognized after elected or appointed officials from both communities formally ratify an agreement. The State's sister cities and other pairing programs, both in concept and practice, are valuable programs for encouraging cultural, educational, and trade relationships between different political subdivisions in the New Jersey and political subdivisions in other countries. These programs have resulted in a number of successful cultural, educational, and economic exchanges in New Jersey. Despite the success that these programs have brought to the State, a recent sister city agreement that the City of Newark entered into with a fictitious city has raised serious concerns. It is in the State's interest to require all sister city and political subdivision pairing agreements entered into by a municipality, county, or political subdivision of the State with any group outside of the United States to be approved by the Secretary of State as a form of due diligence to avoid another incident involving a New Jersey municipality, county, or other political subdivision entering into or ratifying a sister city or political subdivision pairing agreement that could be detrimental to the municipality, county, other political subdivision, or the State.

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Douglas Steinhardt (R)*,  Mike Testa (R)*, 

Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate State Government, Wagering, Tourism & Historic Preservation Committee (on 01/09/2024)

Official Document