This bill amends existing legislation to permit spouses of certain State officers or employees to hold interests in regulated businesses, specifically those related to casino and cannabis activities. It modifies Section 4 of P.L.1981, c.142 (C.52:13D-17.2) by eliminating the prohibition against State officers, employees, and their immediate family members from holding interests in or being employed by entities involved in casino licensing and cannabis operations. The new language stipulates that these individuals may engage in such businesses under specific conditions, provided that the State Ethics Commission or relevant authorities determine that it will not interfere with their official duties or create a conflict of interest.

Furthermore, the bill revises the New Jersey Conflict of Interest Law to allow spouses of State officers or employees, who do not have responsibilities related to medical cannabis, personal use cannabis activities, or casinos, to hold interests in those areas without conflict. It removes the previous stipulation that this exemption only applies if the marriage occurred after the officer's appointment or employment, thus allowing spouses to engage in these interests regardless of the marriage date, as long as the State officer or employee does not have relevant responsibilities. The bill also clarifies that spouses must not be directly employed by any entity in the cannabis or casino industries and requires the Joint Legislative Committee on Ethical Standards and the State Ethics Commission to maintain and update a list of positions with responsibilities related to these activities. The bill is retroactive to the effective date of the Cannabis Regulatory, Enforcement Assistance, and Marketplace Modernization Act, P.L.2021, c.16.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 52:13D-17.2