SENATE COMMUNITY AND URBAN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

SENATE, No. 855

with committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  JULY 16, 2020

      The Senate Community and Urban Affairs Committee reports favorably and with committee amendments Senate Bill No. 855.

     As amended, this bill would require that the title of “chosen freeholder” be changed to “county commissioner.”  Accordingly, all “boards of chosen freeholders” would be known as “boards of county commissioners” and all individual “freeholders” and “chosen freeholders” would be known as “county commissioners.”  The bill creates a definition for freeholder to clarify that any reference in the statutes to a “freeholder” or “chosen freeholder” means a “county commissioner.”

     The bill would also require counties to update their letterheads, stationary, and other writings, once exhausted, to bear the title of county commissioners in place of freeholders or chosen freeholders upon replacement.  The bill would also require counties to update their Internet websites, to bear the title of county commissioners in place of freeholders or chosen freeholders within one year of the bill’s effective date.  The bill would not require counties to update or replace signs or other writings to reflect this title change within this timeframe if doing so would require the expenditure of county funds.  In such a case, the title would have to be changed whenever the writing is next updated or replaced in the ordinary course of business.

     The bill would take effect on January 1, 2021.

     This bill was pre-filed for introduction in the 2020-2021 session pending technical review.  As reported, the bill includes the changes required by technical review, which has been performed.

COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS:

      The committee amendments would require counties to replace their letterheads, stationary, and other writings, or chosen freeholders so that they bear the title of county commissioners in place of freeholders or chosen freeholders once the existing stock is exhausted instead of within one year of the bill’s effective date.  The amendments also clarify that the bill applies to counties governed by P.L.1972, c.154 (C.40:41A-1 et seq.).  The amendments also would revise the effective date of the bill to January 1, 2021.