The New Jersey Senate on Thursday (Dec. 19) voted 36-0 in favor of expanded bipartisan legislation granting “qualifying” digital news outlets the right to run legal notices. The law previously required legal notices from municipal, county, and state governments run in local print newspapers.
The public notices include everything from public meetings and ordinances to the procurement of goods and services, the NJ Legislature said in a statement.
Bill S-3957 continues the dissemination of official public notices and legal advertisements through newspapers, with the addition of digital versions of the qualifying news outlets until March 1, 2025, NJ Senate Democrats said in a statement.
The bill was sponsored by Sen. Paul Sarlo (D-36), Sen. President Nick Scutari (D-22) and Sen. Republican Leader Anthony Bucco (R-25).
“This will extend the existing process for legal notices with the addition of digital editions of news sites,” said Sarlo, chair of the Senate Budget Committee.
“It’s a short-term solution that will give us the time to develop a more permanent system that accommodates the rapid changes in the newspaper landscape. We need to take the time to get this right with an updated process that maintains public transparency and protects the taxpayers,” Sarlo added.
The Changed Newspaper Landscape
The shrinking reach and availability of print local news has caused confusion among local governments regarding how to proceed with legal notices while also staying in compliance with the Open Public Meetings Act, NJ Senate Democrats said in a statement.
The state Open Public Meetings Act requires local governments to publish meeting notices and other items in a newspaper of record. Governments formally declare their newspaper of record when they reorganize, which is typically in January.
“This stop-gap measure will give us time to establish a plan that both recognizes and utilizes technological advancements while maintaining the familiarity and transparency that constituents are accustomed to,” said Bucco. “With this bill, we can slow down the process, bring all stakeholders to the table, and ensure we find a solution that works for everyone.”
The impending closure of the Star-Ledger, the state’s largest daily newspaper, will leave many municipalities without a print publication to publish legal notices. The Star-Ledger announced in October that it will print its final edition on Feb. 2, 2025. Its parent company, Advance Local, is also ending print publications of the Jersey Journal, the Times of Trenton, the South Jersey Times, and the Hunterdon County Democrat.
“The rapid changes in the news industry threaten to make the existing public notification system ineffective,” said Scutari.
“We need to modernize the law so that the public continues to be fully informed of the actions of government entities with a process that maintains transparency and accessibility. This bill gives us the time to work together for a long-term remedy,” added.Scutari
