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Bill > S4309
NJ S4309
NJ S4309Allows online news publication to use municipal, county, or State-wide circulation requirements to meet eligibility standards; extends grace period for qualifying newspapers.
summary
Introduced
05/21/2026
05/21/2026
In Committee
06/04/2026
06/04/2026
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead
Introduced Session
2026-2027 Regular Session
Bill Summary
Under current law, to qualify as an online news publication eligible to publish legal notices for municipal-wide circulation, the online news publication is required to receive 4,000 unique monthly visits on average as calculated annually, no less than 50 percent of which are to be from IP addresses within the applicable municipality or within a 10-mile radius of the municipality. This bill amends the law to:· also include the county in which the applicable municipality is located. Under the bill, if an online news publication meets the county-wide circulation requirements for the county in which the applicable municipality is located, or which meets the State-wide circulation requirements, is deemed to also meet the municipal-wide circulation requirements to qualify as an online news publication;· specify that an online news publication that meets the State-wide circulation requirements is deemed to also meet the county-wide circulation requirements to qualify as an online news publication; and· extend the grace period for which a newspaper utilized or permitted to be utilized by a person for the purpose of complying with any legal requirement from January 1, 2025 to December 31, 2026.
AI Summary
This bill modifies the requirements for online news publications to be eligible to publish legal notices, expanding their reach and extending a grace period for traditional newspapers. Specifically, it allows online news publications to qualify for municipal-wide legal notice publication if they meet county-wide circulation requirements (meaning at least 50,000 unique monthly visits with 50% from within the county or a 10-mile radius) or state-wide circulation requirements (meaning at least 350,000 unique monthly visits with 50% from within the state), in addition to the existing municipal or 10-mile radius requirement. It also clarifies that meeting state-wide circulation requirements automatically qualifies an online news publication for county-wide notice publication. Furthermore, the bill extends the grace period for newspapers, whether in print or electronic format, to be used for complying with legal notice requirements from March 1, 2026, to December 31, 2026.
Committee Categories
Housing and Urban Affairs
Sponsors (2)
Last Action
Reported from Senate Committee, 2nd Reading (on 06/04/2026)
Taxonomy
Government Operations
- ‐ Government Transparency and Open Records
Space, Science, Technology, and Communications
- ‐ Internet and Computer Issues
Official Document
bill text
bill summary
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bill summary
| Document Type | Source Location | Created |
|---|---|---|
| State Bill Page | https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/bill-search/2026/S4309 | 05/18/2026 |
| Analysis - Statement SBA 6/4/26 | https://pub.njleg.gov/Bills/2026/S4500/4309_S1.PDF | 06/05/2026 |
| BillText | https://pub.njleg.gov/Bills/2026/S4500/4309_I1.HTM | 05/22/2026 |
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