SENATE STATE GOVERNMENT, WAGERING, TOURISM & HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

ASSEMBLY, No. 4810

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  JANUARY 14, 2021

      The Senate State Government, Wagering, Tourism and Historic Preservation Committee reports favorably Assembly Bill No. 4810.

      This bill creates the Government Efficiency and Regulatory Review Commission to assess the effect that rules and regulations and Executive Orders have on the State’s economy and to provide recommendations to the Governor to amend any rules and regulations or Executive Orders that unduly burden the State’s businesses, workers, and local governments.

      Under the bill, the commission would be comprised of nine members, consisting of representatives from the Executive and Legislative branches of State government, who are devoted to the common goal of promptly addressing the State’s economic viability and prosperity.  The bill requires each department, office, division, or agency of the State to cooperate with the commission and furnish it with any information, personnel, and assistance it needs to accomplish its duties.  The commission’s findings would be advisory and cannot be used as a basis for any legal challenges based upon the action or inaction of any department, office, division, or agency of the State.

      The bill requires the commission to:

      (1)  review all proposed and adopted rules and regulations and operative Executive Orders issued by the Governor to: assess their potential or actual effects on the State’s economy; determine whether their costs and other burdens on businesses, workers, and local governments outweigh their intended benefits; and establish a basis for providing recommendations to the Governor to amend any rules and regulations or Executive Orders that unduly burden the State’s businesses, workers, and local governments;

      (2)  call upon any department, office, division, or agency of this State to supply the commission with data and other information, personnel, or assistance it deems necessary to discharge its duties;

      (3)  solicit both written and oral comments from the public, including professional, labor, community, and environmental organizations, businesses, workers, and other affected persons or entities as the commission deems appropriate, and to consider the views expressed by those parties in any report; and

      (4)  provide annually a written report to the Governor and the Legislature in which the commission must provide recommendations to repeal, rescind, or amend any rules and regulations or Executive Orders that unduly burden the State’s businesses, workers, and local governments.

      Assembly Bill No. 4810 is identical to Senate Bill No. 441 of the 2020-2021 session.