[First Reprint]

ASSEMBLY CONCURRENT RESOLUTION No. 166

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

220th LEGISLATURE

 

INTRODUCED NOVEMBER 21, 2022

 


 

Sponsored by:

Assemblyman  CRAIG J. COUGHLIN

District 19 (Middlesex)

Assemblyman  JOHN DIMAIO

District 23 (Hunterdon, Somerset and Warren)

Assemblyman  REGINALD W. ATKINS

District 20 (Union)

 

Co-Sponsored by:

Assemblywomen Dunn and McKnight

 

 

 

 

SYNOPSIS

     Amends Legislative Code of Ethics to remove requirement that legislators disclose address of their home or principal residence.

 

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

     As reported by the Assembly State and Local Government Committee on December 12, 2022, with amendments.

  


A Concurrent Resolution amending the Legislative Code of Ethics with regard to financial disclosure statements.

 

     Be It Resolved by the General Assembly of the State of New Jersey (the Senate concurring):

 

     1.    Section 2:14 of the Legislative Code of Ethics is amended to read as follows:

     2:14.  a.  No later than May 15 of each year, each member of the Senate and General Assembly shall file with the Joint Legislative Committee on Ethical Standards or any successor thereto a financial disclosure statement, on a form to be prescribed by the Joint Legislative Committee on Ethical Standards or its successor, with respect to the member's, the member's spouse's and minor children's sources of income, received from sources other than the State Legislature, and liabilities, amounts thereof, and interests, during the preceding calendar year. The filing may be in electronic form, including signature. Each member of the Legislature shall have a continuing obligation to report any termination or assumption of public employment by the member or the member’s spouse within 30 days, which report shall be an addendum to the disclosure statement.

     The Joint Legislative Committee on Ethical Standards shall prescribe the information necessary to identification of sources. When an amount is required to be reported, it shall be sufficient to comply with the requirement to disclose whether the amount is less than $10,000, at least $10,000 but less than $25,000, at least $25,000 but less than $50,000, or $50,000 or more. The statement shall include an enumeration of:

     (1) Each of the following categories of earned income: salaries, bonuses, royalties, fees, commissions and profit sharing paid to the member, the member's spouse or the member's minor child as an officer, employee, partner or consultant of a named corporation, professional association, partnership or sole proprietorship;

     (2) Each of the following categories of unearned income: rents, dividends and other income received by the member, the member's spouse or minor child from named investments, trusts and estates;

     (3) Fees and honorariums for personal appearances, speeches or writings received by the member or the member's spouse from named payers;

     (4) Reimbursements or prepaid expenses for travel, subsistence or facilities provided in kind received by the member, the member's spouse or minor child from named payers or providers other than the State, indicating whether the payer or provider is a profit, nonprofit or governmental entity;

     (5) Gifts from named donors connected to the legislative process received by the member, the member's spouse or minor child;

     (6) The amounts of all personal liabilities of the member and the member's spouse, except liabilities which are (a) less than $15,000 and owed to a relative; (b) less than $3,000 and owed to any other person; (c) loans secured by a personal motor vehicle, or household furniture or appliances; and (d) revolving charge accounts. As used in this subsection, "relative" means a son, daughter, grandson, granddaughter, father, mother, grandfather, grandmother, great-grandfather, great-grandmother, brother, sister, nephew, niece, uncle or aunt. Relatives by adoption, half-blood, marriage or remarriage shall be treated as relatives of the whole kinship;

     (7) The amounts of all personal liabilities otherwise subject to disclosure, pursuant to paragraph (6) of this section, of the member and the member's spouse, that have been forgiven by the creditor within 12 months prior to the statement date. For each forgiven liability, the name of the creditor to whom such a liability was owed shall be stated;

     (8) The name and address of all business organizations in which the member or the member's spouse held an "interest" as defined in section 2 of P.L.1971, c.182 (C.52:13D-13);

     (9) Any offices, trusteeships, directorships, or positions of any nature, whether compensated or uncompensated, held by the member or the member's spouse, with any firm, corporation, association, partnership or business; and

     (10) [The address and] 1[A] The address, except the address of the member’s home or principal residence, and a1 brief description, including the county and municipality where located, of all real property 1, including a description of the officer’s home or principal residence,1 in which the member, the member's spouse or a minor child held an interest.

     b.    The failure of a member of the Legislature to file a statement as required by this section shall be reported to the President of the Senate or Speaker of the General Assembly.

     c.     The Joint Legislative Committee on Ethical Standards or its successor after review of statements filed pursuant to this section may by advisory opinion determine that in its opinion a particular category of income, reimbursements, gifts, real estate holdings or business interests gives rise to an appearance of conflict with the member's service as a member of the Legislature.

     d.    Advisory opinions issued pursuant to subsection c. shall be public records and shall remain on file for 10 years from the date of issuance.

 

     2.    This resolution shall take effect immediately and apply to financial disclosure statements filed in 2023 and thereafter.