Bill
Bill > A4556
NJ A4556
NJ A4556Requires municipalities to accept complaints and provide certain municipal announcements by electronic means.
summary
Introduced
03/10/2026
03/10/2026
In Committee
03/10/2026
03/10/2026
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead
Introduced Session
2026-2027 Regular Session
Bill Summary
This bill would require municipalities to have electronic systems in place to receive complaints and to provide certain municipal announcements. The complaint system required by the bill would allow an individual to fill out and transmit a complaint form on the Internet website of the municipality. The notification system would allow an individual to sign up to receive electronic announcements of certain municipal information through e-mail, text messages, social media, or other electronic means. While many municipalities already have such systems in place, many do not. This bill would require all municipalities to have these systems in order to ensure that all residents of the State receive the benefits of these transparency measures. In light of the unfunded mandate provisions of the State Constitution, under which a State law may be declared unconstitutional if it does not authorize resources other than the property tax to offset the additional direct expenditures required for its implementation, this bill would only require the implementation of these electronic systems if funding is made available for those purposes through State appropriations, grants, or otherwise.
AI Summary
This bill requires municipalities to establish electronic systems for residents to submit complaints and receive important municipal announcements, aiming to increase transparency and accessibility. Specifically, municipalities must provide an online form on their website, if they have one, for people to submit complaints electronically to the municipal clerk or their designated representative. If a municipality lacks its own website, the Department of Community Affairs will host this complaint form and forward submissions. Additionally, municipalities must set up a system allowing residents to sign up for electronic notifications, such as through email, text messages, or social media, for various types of municipal information. This includes public meeting notices, meeting minutes, approved budgets, declared emergencies, urgent public health and safety alerts, and significant traffic changes like road closures, as defined by the "Senator Byron M. Baer Open Public Meetings Act." Crucially, the implementation of these electronic systems is contingent upon funding being made available to the municipalities through state appropriations, grants, or other sources, to comply with constitutional provisions regarding unfunded mandates.
Committee Categories
Government Affairs
Sponsors (1)
Last Action
Introduced, Referred to Assembly State and Local Government Committee (on 03/10/2026)
Official Document
bill text
bill summary
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bill summary
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bill summary
| Document Type | Source Location |
|---|---|
| State Bill Page | https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/bill-search/2026/A4556 |
| BillText | https://pub.njleg.gov/Bills/2026/A5000/4556_I1.HTM |
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