The ability to obtain public records in New Jersey is about to undergo a massive overhaul. A new bill, S2930 (the “Reform Bill”), was signed into law by New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy on June 5, 2024, and has the potential to make it more difficult for requestors to obtain access to certain government records.
The controversial move to pass the Reform Bill has been called out by numerous critics for imposing limits on government transparency and inviting corruption to the state. Governor Murphy’s response has remained that the Reform Bill considers these concerns and aims to simplify the current public record requests process by imposing much-needed limitations and modernizations. The Reform Bill will be effective 90 days following enactment.
New Jersey’s Reform Bill is not the only open record law introduced recently. A number of different states, including Utah, Louisiana, and Michigan, have introduced and, in some cases, passed different kinds of government transparency bills in their respective state governments. However, the level of transparency ranges, with some of these bills limiting public record access, while others introduce more public transparency.
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