Sponsored by:
Senator JOSEPH PENNACCHIO
District 26 (Essex, Morris and Passaic)
Senator MICHAEL L. TESTA, JR.
District 1 (Atlantic, Cape May and Cumberland)
SYNOPSIS
Removes limit in Emergency Health Powers Act on access to public and government records.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning access to public and government records under the Emergency Health Powers Act, and repealing section 26 of P.L.2005, c.222.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Section 26 of P.L.2005, c.222 (C.26:13-26) is repealed.
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
Currently, under the Emergency Health Powers Act, N.J.S.A. 26:13-1 et seq., any correspondence, records, reports and medical information made, maintained, received or filed pursuant to that act is not considered a public or government record under the law commonly referred to as the open public records act (opra).
This bill removes the opra exception regarding access to the correspondence, records, reports and medical information made, maintained, received or filed pursuant to the Emergency Health Powers Act. Under this bill, any item pertaining to that act that is accessible under opra may be obtained under current opra procedures.