Bill Text: NJ A1121 | 2014-2015 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Prohibits for ten years after compliance with penalty or sentence imposed by court elected or appointed officials convicted of certain crimes from serving as governmental affairs agents.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2014-01-16 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Judiciary Committee [A1121 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2014-A1121-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
216th LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2014 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman DECLAN J. O'SCANLON, JR.
District 13 (Monmouth)
SYNOPSIS
Prohibits for ten years after compliance with penalty or sentence imposed by court elected or appointed officials convicted of certain crimes from serving as governmental affairs agents.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel
An Act concerning service as a governmental affairs agent and supplementing P.L.1971, c.183 (C.52:13C-18 et seq.).
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. A person who holds or has held any elective or appointive public office or position, under the government of this State, or a political subdivision thereof, shall not be eligible to serve as a governmental affairs agent, for ten years after compliance with the penalty or sentence imposed by the court, if the person is or was convicted of any crime under the laws of this State, or of any substantially similar offense under the laws of another state or the United States which would have been such a crime under the laws of this State, which crime or offense involves or touches such office or position.
As used in this subsection, a crime or offense that "involves or touches such office or position" means that the crime or offense was related directly to the person's performance in, or circumstances flowing from, the specific public office or position held by the person.
b. Any person who knowingly and willfully violates the provisions of subsection a. of this section shall be subject to a penalty of not more than $10,000.
Upon receiving evidence of any violation of subsection a. of this section, the Election Law Enforcement Commission shall have the power to hold, or to cause to be held, hearings about the violation and, upon finding any person to have committed a violation, to assess such penalty, within the limits prescribed herein, as it deems proper under the circumstances, which penalty may be collected in a summary proceeding pursuant to the "Penalty Enforcement Law of 1999," P.L.1999, c.274 (C.2A:58-10 et seq.).
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill prohibits, for ten years after the end of a penalty or sentence, an elected or appointed official, under the government of this State, or a political subdivision, from serving as a governmental affairs agent if the elected or appointed official was convicted of a crime under the laws of this State that involves or touches such office or position. This prohibition also applies if there is a conviction for a substantially similar offense committed under the laws of another state or the United States.
An elected or appointed official who violates this provision would be subject to a penalty of up to $10,000. The Election Law Enforcement Commission would be responsible for enforcing this provision.
