Bill Text: NJ A122 | 2024-2025 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Requires establishment of central database of State programs on official website.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 2-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-01-09 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly State and Local Government Committee [A122 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2024-A122-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
221st LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2024 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman DONALD A. GUARDIAN
District 2 (Atlantic)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman Dunn
SYNOPSIS
Requires establishment of central database of State programs on official website.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Act concerning a central database of State programs and supplementing Title 52 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. There shall be established and maintained in the Executive Branch of State government, on a prominent and publicly accessible location on the State's official Internet website, a central database of all State government programs offered to the public by each State department or agency. The central database shall organize all programs by eligibility categories, which shall include, but may not be limited to, age and income. The database shall also provide users with the ability to search the programs using keywords. Under each program in the database, there shall be a description of the program, information on how to apply for the program, and a link to application forms required by the State department or agency. Each program's page shall include, but may not be limited to:
(1) the title and description of the program;
(2) the State department or agency responsible for administering the program;
(3) the purpose of the program;
(4) the persons or groups of persons that the program aims to serve;
(5) the eligibility criteria applicable to program applicants;
(6) the date on which the program was initiated by the State department or agency;
(7) the deadline, if any, for submitting an application to the program;
(8) a description and list of information and documentation necessary to complete an application; and
(9) a link to the application for an applicant to complete.
b. Each State department or agency shall provide the information to be included in the database required by this section for each program offered by the State department or agency. The form and manner in which the information shall be provided shall be uniform across all State departments and agencies. The database shall receive regular and timely updates to ensure that it reflects the most current information pertaining to State department or agency programs, as periodically indicated by each State department or agency. The page for each program in the database shall indicate the date on which the most recent database update was performed pursuant to this subsection.
c. Within 30 days of the effective date of this act, P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), the Governor shall designate a State entity responsible for establishing and maintaining the central database required by this act. The implementing State entity shall promulgate, pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), any rules and regulations necessary to implement the provisions of this act.
d. As used in this act, "State department or agency" means any of the principal departments in the Executive Branch of State government, and any office, commission, board, bureau, or instrumentality thereof.
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill requires a State entity, to be designated by the Governor within 30 days of its effective date, to establish and maintain in the Executive Branch of State government on its official website, a central database of all State government programs offered to the public by each State department or agency. The central database would organize all programs by eligibility categories, such as age and income, and would enable users to search the programs using keywords. Among other features, each program's page would include: (1) the title and description of the program; (2) the implementing State department or agency; (3) the purpose of the program; (4) the persons or groups of persons that the program aims to serve; (5) the eligibility criteria; (6) the date on which the program was initiated; (7) the application deadline, if any; (8) a description and list of information and documentation necessary to complete an application; and (9) a link to the application. Under the bill, each State department or agency would provide the information to be included in the database with respect to its programs, to be included in the database in a uniform manner across all State departments and agencies. The bill requires regular and timely updates, to be indicated on each program's page.
