Bill Text: NJ A1344 | 2026-2027 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Establishes New Jersey Regulatory Modernization Commission.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3)
Status: (Introduced) 2026-01-13 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly State and Local Government Committee [A1344 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2026-A1344-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
222nd LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman CODY D. MILLER
District 4 (Atlantic, Camden and Gloucester)
Assemblywoman MITCHELLE DRULIS
District 16 (Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex and Somerset)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblyman Hutchison
SYNOPSIS
Establishes New Jersey Regulatory Modernization Commission.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Act establishing the New Jersey Regulatory Modernization Commission and supplementing Title 52 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "New Jersey Regulatory Modernization and Red Tape Reduction Act."
2. The Legislature finds and declares that:
a. Regulatory overreach and outdated administrative procedures can stifle innovation, deter business growth, and increase burdens on residents and small businesses.
b. A streamlined and modern regulatory environment is essential to fostering economic development and public confidence in government.
c. There is a need for a balanced and transparent process to review, reform, and eliminate unnecessary or duplicative regulations while maintaining public health, safety, and environmental standards.
3. a. There is hereby established the New Jersey Regulatory Modernization Commission. For the purposes of complying with the provisions of Article V, Section IV, paragraph 1 of the New Jersey Constitution, the commission shall be allocated in, but not of, the Department of Labor and Workforce Development. The commission shall consist of 11 voting members as follows:
(1) three public members appointed by the Governor, at least one with experience in small business, one in nonprofit operations, and one in regulatory law;
(2) two public members appointed by the Senate President;
(3) two public members appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly;
(4) the State Treasurer, or a designee;
(5) the chief executive officer of the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, or a designee;
(6) the Chief Innovation Officer of the State of New Jersey, or a designee; and
(7) the Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development, or a designee.
b. The commission shall hold its initial organizational meeting as soon as practicable, but no later than 30 days following the appointment of its members. At the initial organizational meeting, the members shall elect a chairperson from among the members of the commission by a majority vote of the members. Vacancies shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointments were made. Each public member of the commission shall serve for a term of four years and until the appointment and qualification of a successor; except that two of the public members first appointed by the Governor shall serve for an initial term of one year, one of the public members first appointed by the Senate President shall serve for an initial term of two years, and one of the public members first appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly shall serve for an initial term of three years. Members of the commission shall be eligible for reappointment to the commission.
c. Members of the commission shall serve without compensation, but shall be reimbursed for all necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties, within the limits of funds appropriated or otherwise made available to the commission for its purposes.
d. The Department of Labor and Workforce Development shall provide such stenographic, clerical, and other administrative support and professional staff to the commission as it requires to carry out its work. The commission shall also be entitled to call to its assistance and avail itself of the services of the employees of any other State department, office, division, or agency to accomplish its duties.
e. A majority of all the authorized members of the commission shall constitute a quorum. The commission shall meet once every six months and at such other times as the chair of the commission may determine.
4. a. The commission shall:
(1) review existing administrative rules and recommend elimination, modification, or consolidation of those deemed unnecessary or burdensome;
(2) solicit input from businesses, nonprofits, and the public on regulatory burdens;
(3) publish an annual report detailing findings and recommendations, including the economic impact of any recommended reforms;
(4) collaborate with State departments or agencies to implement approved recommendations within existing statutory authority; and
(5) develop a digital "Red Tape Reduction Portal" for public submission of regulatory concerns.
b. The commission shall have advisory authority only and shall not have the power to enact, repeal, or override any existing regulation.
c. Upon the issuance of a recommendation by the commission to a State department or agency pursuant to subsection a. of this section, the department or agency shall respond to the commission concerning the recommendation within 90 days, indicating whether the department or agency will adopt the recommendation and, if not adopting the recommendation, explaining the reason for rejection.
d. All commission meetings shall be subject to the "Senator Byron M. Baer Open Public Meetings Act," P.L.1975, c.231 (C.10:4-6 et seq.).
e. The commission shall submit its annual report, detailing findings and recommendations, including the economic impact of any recommended reforms, to the Governor and to the Legislature, pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1). All reports and findings of the commission shall be prominently posted on a publicly accessible website.
5. There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Labor and Workforce Development the sum of $250,000 to support the administrative operations of the New Jersey Regulatory Modernization Commission.
6. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill, known as the "New Jersey Regulatory Modernization and Red Tape Reduction Act," creates the advisory New Jersey Regulatory Modernization Commission to assess the effect that rules and regulations have on economic development and public confidence in government in the State and to provide recommendations to reform or eliminate unnecessary or duplicative regulations while maintaining public health, safety, and environmental standards.
For the purposes of complying with the State Constitution, the commission is to be allocated within the Department of Labor and Workforce Development, and the department is responsible for providing administrative support and professional staff to support the commission's work. Under the bill, the commission will consist of 11 voting members, including seven public members appointed by the Executive and Legislative Branches of State government and four State cabinet members who shall serve ex officio.
The bill requires the commission to review existing administrative rules and recommend changes or elimination of those deemed unnecessary or burdensome and to solicit feedback from businesses, nonprofits and the public about their regulatory challenges. Each year, the commission will publish, and submit to the Governor and Legislature, an annual report detailing its findings and recommendations, including the economic impact of any recommended reforms. State departments and agencies are expected to reply within 90 days responding to the commissions' recommendations and the commission is expected to collaborate with State departments or agencies to implement approved recommendations. The commission is charged with developing a digital "Red Tape Reduction Portal" for the public to submit regulatory concerns. All commission meetings are subject to the Open Public Meetings law and the commission's reports and findings must be published on a publicly accessible website.
The bill appropriates $250,000 to support the administrative operations of the commission.
