ASSEMBLY APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

ASSEMBLY, No. 5624

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  DECEMBER 18, 2025

      The Assembly Appropriations Committee reports favorably Assembly Bill No. 5624.

As reported, this bill requires the Division of Consumer Affairs in the Department of Law and Public Safety to create, maintain, and annually update an open data portal on the division’s Internet website that provides public access to certain datasets collected by the division, including information on professional and occupational licensing, registration, and certification information and consumer complaints.  Datasets made available by the division on the open data portal shall comply with the provisions of the open public records act, and all applicable State and federal privacy laws.

FISCAL IMPACT:

      The Office of Legislative Services (OLS) finds that the bill will cause an indeterminate onetime State expenditure increase to the Division of Consumer Affairs in the Department of Law and Public Safety to create an open data portal that provides public access to certain datasets collected by the division. An indeterminate amount of costs will periodically accrue thereafter to the division to maintain and update the portal.

      The OLS, however, has no insights into whether the division would rely on existing staff to create, maintain, and update the portal, hire additional staff, or engage a vendor to arrive at a cost estimate for the portal.