ASSEMBLY JUDICIARY COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

ASSEMBLY, No. 3594

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  JULY 20, 2020

      The Assembly Judiciary Committee reports favorably Assembly Bill No. 3594.

     This bill would require that the title of “chosen freeholder” be changed to “county commissioner.”  Accordingly, all “boards of chosen freeholders” would be known as “boards of county commissioners” and all individual “freeholders” and “chosen freeholders” would be known as “county commissioners.”  The bill creates a definition for “freeholder” to clarify that any reference in the statutes to a “freeholder” or “chosen freeholder” means a “county commissioner.”

     The bill would also require counties to update their letterheads, stationary, and other writings, as well as their Internet websites, to bear the title of county commissioners in place of freeholders or chosen freeholders, within one year of the bill’s effective date.  The bill would not require counties to update or replace signs or other writings to reflect this title change within this timeframe if doing so would require the expenditure of county funds.  In such a case, the title would have to be changed whenever the writing is next updated or replaced in the ordinary course of business.

      The bill would take effect on January 1 next following the date of enactment.