LEGISLATIVE FISCAL ESTIMATE

ASSEMBLY, No. 4543

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

219th LEGISLATURE

DATED: JUNE 17, 2021

SUMMARY

Synopsis:	Require civil service commission to notify a certified eligible by certified mail and via electronic mail.
Type of Impact:	Annual State expenditure increase.
Agencies Affected:	Civil Service Commission.

Office of Legislative Services Estimate
Fiscal Impact	Year 1	Year 2	Year 3
State Cost Increase	Indeterminate

· The Office of Legislative Services (OLS) estimates that if the Civil Service Commission (CSC) notifies a certified eligible whose name appears on the eligible list by certified mail at the last known address, the State will be required to pay the cost of the certified mail with electronic verification.  The current United States Postal Service postal rate for certified mail with electronic verification is $4.91.  This cost is in addition to the first class mail or priority mail delivery fees.

· There is no information available to indicate the number of certified mail with electronic verification notifications the CSC would be required to send; thus, a specific estimate of the potential cost for the CSC cannot be made at this time.

BILL DESCRIPTION

      This bill requires the Civil Service Commission to notify a certified eligible by certified mail and via electronic mail.

      Currently, after an eligibility list is issued, an appointing authority will contact the CSC when there is a need to fill a vacancy.  At that time, the CSC will issue a certification and mail each eligible person a notice of certification.  If an eligible person does not respond to the notice of certification within five business days, the eligible person is removed from the eligible list and will no longer receive certifications issued from that list.

      Under the bill, the CSC is required to send the notice of certification by certified mail and via electronic mail to the last known address.  Mailing the notice by certified mail will provide the commission with a mailing receipt and electronic verification that the notice was delivered or that a delivery attempt was made.  “Last known address” means the postal address or electronic mailing address provided by the eligible person on the application, or the postal address or electronic mailing address provided by the eligible person in a subsequent written notice of a change of address.

FISCAL ANALYSIS

EXECUTIVE BRANCH

      None received.

OFFICE OF LEGISLATIVE SERVICES

     The OLS estimates that if the CSC is required to send a notice of certification by certified mail with electronic verification and via electronic mail to a certified eligible, there would be a cost to the State for each certified mail with electronic verification that the CSC is required to send.

Under current law, the CSC issues a certification and mails each eligible person a notice of certification when a vacancy at an appointing authority exists.  Under the provisions of this bill, the commission would send the notice of certification by certified mail with electronic verification and via electronic mail to the last known address of a certified eligible.  Certified mail with electronic verification carries additional fees from the United States Postal Service from first mail and priority mail delivery services.

      There is no information available to indicate the number of certified mail with electronic verification notifications the CSC would be required to send; thus, a specific estimate of the potential cost for the CSC cannot be made at this time. 

Section:	State Government
Analyst:	Nicolas Soto Associate Research Analyst
Approved:	Thomas Koenig Legislative Budget and Finance Officer

This legislative fiscal estimate has been produced by the Office of Legislative Services due to the failure of the Executive Branch to respond to our request for a fiscal note.

This fiscal estimate has been prepared pursuant to P.L.1980, c.67 (C.52:13B-6 et seq.).