Bill Text: NJ A5197 | 2026-2027 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Establishes digital democracy online portal for submission of legislative proposals by public.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2)
Status: (Introduced) 2026-06-04 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly State and Local Government Committee [A5197 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2026-A5197-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman KENYATTA STEWART
District 35 (Bergen and Passaic)
SYNOPSIS
Establishes digital democracy online portal for submission of legislative proposals by public.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act establishing an online portal for the submission of legislative proposals by the public and amending and supplementing P.L.1995, c.319.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Section 1 of P.L.1995, c.319 (C.52:11-78) is amended to read as follows:
1. a. The Office of Legislative Services shall make available to the public and maintain in electronic form the following information:
(1) the most current available compilation of the official text of the statutes of New Jersey;
(2) the text of all bills introduced during the current two-year session of the Legislature, including amended versions, as well as sponsor statements, committee statements, and fiscal notes;
(3) all bills currently pending in the Legislature, listed by subject and sponsor;
(4) bill-tracking data on all bills pending in the Legislature, including the history of actions, current status, a complete voting record, including individual votes by members of the Legislature recorded during committee meetings, updated on a daily basis and made available and maintained for the two-year legislative term in progress and the immediately preceding term, and, where appropriate, by citation of the section of law to be amended by a bill;
(5) a current calendar of legislative events, including the schedule of legislative committee meetings, and a list of bills scheduled for legislative action;
(6) a current directory of the members of the Legislature, including complete committee membership information;
(7) the text of all chapter laws beginning with laws passed by the Legislature after 12:00 noon, January 9, 1996; [and]
(8) a portal designated as the "digital democracy online portal" to facilitate the submission and tracking of legislative proposals made by the public pursuant to section 2 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill); and
(9) such other information as the Legislative Services Commission shall direct.
b. The information specified in subsection a. of this section shall be made available to the public through the largest nonproprietary cooperative public computer network.
c. The Office of Legislative Services shall not impose a fee or usage charge as a condition of accessing the information specified in subsection a. of this section through the network described in subsection b. of this section.
d. The Office of Legislative Services may offer a fee-based electronic legislative information service which may include, in addition to the information specified in subsection a. of this section, the following information and capabilities:
(1) the ability for users to automatically maintain updated private databases and receive notification of scheduled action on specific bills or subject matter;
(2) the ability for users to retrieve information by various means of searching full text; and
(3) archives of bill texts and related information from prior sessions of the Legislature.
e. Nothing contained in this section shall be construed as prohibiting a private individual or entity from using the information specified in subsection a. of this section to provide, either commercially or on a voluntary basis, services similar to those provided by the Office of Legislative Services pursuant to subsection d. of this section.
f. The Office of Legislative Services shall consult with the appropriate office within the executive branch of the State government responsible for computer security and guidelines in order to provide the information specified in subsection a. of this section on the largest nonproprietary cooperative public computer network, and both offices shall take all appropriate security measures, subject to the approval of the Legislative Services Commission or the designee thereof, to protect the computer systems that provide access to and store the information specified in subsection a. of this section.
g. No fee shall be charged to the Office of Legislative Services by the appropriate office within the executive branch of the State government responsible for computer security and guidelines for services rendered related to this act.
(cf: P.L.2007, c.160, s.1)
2. (New section) a. There shall be established and maintained in the Legislative Branch of State Government, on a prominent and publicly accessible location on the State Legislature's official Internet website, a centralized portal designated as the "digital democracy online portal." The purpose of the portal shall be for members of the public to submit and track legislative proposals.
b. The portal shall include, at a minimum, the following for each proposal:
(1) the proposal number;
(2) the subject;
(3) the date of receipt;
(4) the option for the individual who submits a proposal to provide contact information;
(5) the current status; and
(6) the bill number of the legislation that addresses the proposal and a link to the bill's tracking data required pursuant to paragraph (4) of subsection a. of section 1 of P.L.1995, c.319 (C.52:11-78), if applicable.
c. A member of the Legislature may request for a proposal to be drafted into legislation. When a member submits to the Office of Legislative Services a request for legislation based on a proposal in the portal, the office shall designate the proposal as reserved. All information in connection with such request shall be regarded as confidential and no information with respect thereto shall be provided to the public pursuant to section 17 of P.L.1979, c.8 (C.52:11-70). If the member's request is introduced as legislation, the office shall enter the information required pursuant to paragraph (6) of subsection b. of this section in the portal for that proposal.
3. This act shall take effect on the 365th day after the date of enactment.
STATEMENT
This bill establishes an online portal for the submission of legislative proposals by the public.
The bill requires the Office of Legislative Services to establish, make available to the public, and maintain in electronic form a "digital democracy online portal" for the submission and tracking of legislative proposals by the public. The portal will include for each proposal, at a minimum, the proposal number, the subject, the date of receipt, the option for the individual who submits a proposal to provide contact information, the current status, and the bill number of the legislation that addresses the proposal and a link to the bill's tracking data, if applicable.
A member of the Legislature may request for a proposal to be drafted into legislation. When a member submits to the Office of Legislative Services a request for legislation based on a proposal in the portal, the office will designate the proposal as reserved. All information in connection with such request will be regarded as confidential and no information with respect thereto will be provided to the public. If the member's request is introduced as legislation, the office will enter the information required pursuant to the bill in the portal for that proposal.
