Bill Text: NJ A2530 | 2020-2021 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Expands deadline for filing financial disclosure statements by candidates for Governor and member of Legislature.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-02-03 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly State and Local Government Committee [A2530 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2020-A2530-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman JON M. BRAMNICK
District 21 (Morris, Somerset and Union)
SYNOPSIS
Expands deadline for filing financial disclosure statements by candidates for Governor and member of Legislature.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning disclosure by certain candidates for elective public office and amending P.L.1981, c.129.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Section 2 of P.L.1981, c.129 (C.19:44B-2) is amended to read as follows:
2. a. Every candidate for the office of Governor [and every candidate for the Senate or General Assembly] shall file and certify the correctness of a financial disclosure statement on or before the [tenth] 30th day following the last day for filing a petition to appear on the ballot and the financial disclosure statement shall be filed with the Election Law Enforcement Commission in the Department of Law and Public Safety.
b. Every candidate for the office of Lieutenant Governor shall file and certify the correctness of a financial disclosure statement on or before the 30th day following the day such candidate is selected by the candidate for the office of Governor of the same political party, and the financial disclosure statement shall be filed with the commission.
c. Every candidate for the office of member of the Senate or General Assembly shall file and certify the correctness of a financial disclosure statement on or before the day that members of the Senate and General Assembly are required to file a financial disclosure statement with the Joint Legislative Committee on Ethical Standards, as provided by the legislative code of ethics promulgated pursuant to the "New Jersey Conflicts of Interest Law," P.L.1971, c.182 (C.52:13D-12 et seq.), and the financial disclosure statement shall be filed with the commission.
(cf: P.L.2009, c.66, s.29)
2. This act shall take effect on January 1 next following the date of enactment.
STATEMENT
Under current law, every candidate for the office of Governor and every candidate for the office of member of the Senate or General Assembly is required to file a financial disclosure statement on or before the 10th day following the last day for filing a petition to appear on the ballot in the primary election. Under current law, that day is early in April.
The bill changes the day for filing the financial statement by the Governor to on or before the 30th day following the last day for filing a petition to appear on the ballot in the primary election. For candidates for the office of member of the Senate or General Assembly, the deadline is changed to the day that members of the Senate and General Assembly are required to file a financial disclosure statement with the Joint Legislative Committee on Ethical Standards, pursuant to the legislative code of ethics. At present, that day is May 15th of each year.
The bill is based on a recommendation made by the Election Law Enforcement Commission, which receives the candidate financial disclosure statements. In its most recent Annual Report, the commission noted that changing the date will provide "candidates with more time in which to carefully complete these forms, along with a less confusing due date, [which] will enhance compliance and disclosure with the law."
