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Ex. AGY-ST-DMV-SOS-RECORDERS-087 Order Primary source read

P.L. 2020, Chapter 10 (Assembly Bill No. 3849)

An Act concerning the availability of government records during periods of emergency and amending P.L.2001, c.404

New Jersey Senate and General Assembly; approved by Governor Philip D. Murphy · New Jersey (Legislature; every public-records custodian) (State)

Open exhibit (PDF, 23 KB)Source (opens in a new tab)
The COVID Project

The record

Jurisdiction
New Jersey (Legislature; every public-records custodian) · New Jersey
Level
State
Authority
N.J. Const. art. IV
Issued
2020-03-20 Mar. 20, 2020
Effective
2020-03-20 ('This act shall take effect immediately') (read as 2020-03-20)
End
Operates during any declared state of emergency, public health emergency or local disaster emergency; New Jersey's public health emergency ended June 4, 2021 and its state of emergency continued through and beyond 2021 Q3 (read as 2021-09-30)
In force
Mar. 20, 2020 to Sept. 30, 2021
Quarters
2020 Q22020 Q32020 Q42021 Q12021 Q22021 Q3
Limitation types
Courts and public officesOther
Addressees
  • custodians of government records (State, county and municipal)
  • requestors (title companies, law firms, contractors, media, businesses)
Functions reached
  • CT public-records access for title searches, due diligence, permits and litigation
  • PM permit and property records
  • OF
  • CB
Collection
State motor-vehicle offices, secretaries of state and recorders AGY-ST-DMV-SOS-RECORDERS

Operative words

(2) During a period declared pursuant to the laws of this State as a state of emergency, public health emergency, or state of local disaster emergency, the deadlines by which to respond to a request for, or grant or deny access to, a government record under paragraph (1) of this subsection or subsection e. of this section shall not apply, provided, however, that the custodian of a government record shall make a reasonable effort, as the circumstances permit, to respond to a request for access to a government record within seven business days or as soon as possible thereafter.

Enforcement

Statute (the seven-business-day deemed-denial rule of N.J.S.A. 47:1A-5(i)(1) suspended)

Notes

Every New Jersey custodian, from municipal clerks to county recorders, lost the statutory response deadline while emergency declarations ran; a 2021 Q3 instrument by its terms because the state of emergency continued.

A record of The COVID Project. The instrument's text is the source's; the summary fields are The COVID Project's reading of it. Not legal advice.