Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman MAUREEN ROWAN
District 2 (Atlantic)
SYNOPSIS
Requires members of Legislature to host town hall meetings.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act requiring members of the Legislature to host town hall meetings and supplementing Title 52 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. Each member of the Senate and General Assembly shall hold at least two town hall meetings annually, with at least one of the two town hall meetings each year to be held in the member’s legislative district. The purpose of the town hall meetings required by this section shall be for members of the Legislature to receive comments, and to receive and answer questions, directly from their constituents and other members of the public on any issue or policy matter. Members of the Legislature may hold a joint town hall meeting with other legislators or other elected officials.
b. Each town hall meeting required to be held pursuant to this section shall be open to the public and shall be held in a location that is convenient for members of the public and accessible to individuals with disabilities. Each town hall meeting shall provide at least one hour for a legislator to receive comments and answer questions from members of the public, except that a town hall meeting with four or more legislators shall provide at least two hours.
c. At least seven calendar days prior to a town hall meeting to be held as required by this section, the member or members of the Legislature holding the town hall meeting shall publish an official public notice of the date, time, and location of the town hall meeting.
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill requires members of the New Jersey Senate and General Assembly to hold at least two town hall meetings annually. Under the bill, at least one town hall meeting will be in the legislator’s district. The bill requires meetings to be held in locations that are convenient for members of the public and accessible to individuals with disabilities and provide legislators at least one hour to receive comments and answer questions from the public. Legislators may host joint town hall meetings with other legislators or other elected officials and any meeting with four or more legislators will be at least two hours in duration. The member or members of the Legislature holding the town hall meeting will publish an official public notice at least seven calendar days prior to the town hall meeting.
It is the Sponsor’s intent that, by requiring legislators to hear directly from their constituents and other members of the public, the Legislature will be more responsive and accountable. Currently, members of the public have opportunities to speak to other elected officials by attending a meeting of their county commissioners and municipal council, but they cannot speak before the Legislature. The town hall meetings required under the bill would therefore establish an important forum for the free exchange of ideas with, and public accountability of, members of the State Legislature.