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Committee releases bill to create statewide online portal for public legal notices amid pushback from small newspapers
Summary
S.3905 would require the Department of Community Affairs to publish a searchable statewide database of local government legal notices; county and municipal groups supported the measure while press organizations and small newspapers raised concerns about formatting, proof of publication and the time and cost needed to implement a portal.
Senate bill S.3905, which tasks the Department of Community Affairs with creating an online statewide database for local government legal notices, was released by the committee after robust testimony from newspapers, trade associations and local-government representatives.
Supporters — including the New Jersey Association of Counties, the League of Municipalities and the School Boards Association — argued a central portal would modernize access, save local taxpayer dollars and allow municipal clerks more control over timely publication. John Donadio of the Association of Counties said the proposal "streamlines the process" and would save taxpayer dollars by allowing local bodies to post notices directly.
Newspapers and press advocates opposed the measure or urged a delay. Tom Cafferty of the New Jersey Press Association and Susan Ainsworth of the Retrospect described practical concerns: formatting of complex legal notices (for example, multi‑page school budgets and zoning maps), the human work that corrects and formats notices, and the current legal proof that a printed newspaper provides. Ainsworth said an online portal “would not be able to provide proof of when something was truly published and available” because online content can be changed post-publication.
Press groups asked the committee to hold the bill so a comprehensive statutory approach being prepared by the Press Association and the Office of Legislative Services could be introduced and considered. Committee members acknowledged the concerns and encouraged sponsors and stakeholders to discuss implementation details; the committee released the bill with instructions that sponsors hear the concerns before further advancement.
