This bill amends New Jersey's existing laws to modernize the publication of official notices and advertisements by allowing public bodies to utilize both traditional newspapers and online news publications. It introduces specific definitions for terms such as "public body," "meeting," and "adequate notice," and mandates that notices be sent to at least two designated newspapers, which must have an Internet presence and a hyperlink to njpublicnotices.com. The bill also sets qualifications for these publications, including maintaining a designated publication address and ensuring that content is predominantly in English. Additionally, it allows newspapers that relocate within the same or adjacent counties to continue publishing official advertising for two years, provided they meet the necessary qualifications.

Moreover, the bill revises the pricing structure for official advertisements, shifting from a per-line to a per-character basis and establishing new rates based on subscriber numbers, with annual adjustments tied to the Consumer Price Index. It clarifies the definition of "adequate notice" to include electronic formats, thereby broadening the scope of qualified publications. The legislation also expands the definition of "newspaper" to encompass both qualified and previously qualified newspapers published electronically, as well as online news publications. In cases where no qualified publication is available, it allows state or local bodies to publish official advertisements in qualifying newspapers or online news publications that have maintained a designated publication address for at least two years.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 10:4-8