SENATE BILL NO. 4004
To the Senate:
Pursuant to Article V, Section I, Paragraph 14 of the New Jersey Constitution, I herewith return Senate Bill No. 4004 with my recommendations for reconsideration.
This bill requires the Eagleton Institute of Politics (“Institute”) at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, with its Center for American Women and Politics (“CAWP”) and Center for Public Interest Polling, to establish and maintain two databases that contain, for every person appointed to a State board, commission, authority, or other multi-member entity, and for every person elected to a public office in this State, the person’s name, title, term of office, race, gender identity or expression, and, for those appointed, the appointing authority. The bill allows the Institute to transmit to any appointed or elected official a form, developed by the Institute, requesting this information. The bill would not apply to school boards.
I commend the sponsors’ recognition of the importance of diversity among individuals serving on our public boards and holding elective office. I share their commitment to ensuring that our elected and appointed officials more closely reflect our State’s diverse population and recognize that aggregating the race and gender identity of these officials in a centralized database is a critical step in furthering this goal.
My Administration has consistently acted to increase the representation of individuals from traditionally underserved communities within State government, most recently by creating an Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging on September 20, 2021 through Executive Order No. 265. And, in cooperation with my colleagues in the Legislature, I signed P.L.2019, c.377, which requires the Division of Elections (“Division”) to establish a database containing the contact information, gender identity or expression, and race for every elected public official in this State. While my Administration is proud to play its part in promoting diversity, I recognize the Institute’s expertise in this area, particularly as CAWP currently maintains a database with information on women’s political representation throughout the United States.
Accordingly, I am presenting recommendations today to streamline the process for the collection of information, augment the role and oversight of the Institute over that process, and concentrate our resources toward the database maintained by the Institute. Toward that end, my recommendations repeal the section of law requiring the Division to maintain a separate database with the identical information required in this bill.
I am grateful to my colleagues in the Legislature for their partnership in promoting diversity within every sphere of government and I look forward to continuing these efforts.
Therefore, I herewith return Senate Bill No. 4004 and recommend that it be amended as follows:
Page 2, Section 1, Line 15: Delete “(1)”
Page 2, Section 1, Line 26: Before “Governor” insert “transmission by the”
Page 2, Section 1, Line 26: Delete “shall provide”
Page 2, Section 1, Line 27: After “Institute” insert “of”
Page 2, Section 1, Line 27: Delete “all currently serving”
Page 2, Section 1, Line 27: Delete “in” and insert “shall not be deemed a violation of any law, rule, or regulation concerning the confidentiality or privacy of such information.”
Page 2, Section 1, Lines 28-45: Delete in their entirety
Page 3, Section 1, Line 8: Delete “for” and insert “regarding”
Page 3, Section 1, Line 9: Delete “and shall sign the request to complete the form”
Page 3, Section 1, Lines 11-12: Delete “an individual has been certified as elected to an elective public office” and insert “certification of an election”
Page 3, Section 1, Line 12: After “an” insert “election for an”
Page 3, Section 1, Lines 14-15: Delete “individual a form, developed by the”
Page 3, Section 1, Line 15: Delete “, for completion that records: (a) the individual’s full” and insert “ the election results. The transmission by the Secretary of State to the Institute of any contact information shall not be deemed a violation of any law, rule, or regulation concerning the confidentiality or privacy of such information.”
Page 3, Section 1, Lines 16-21: Delete in their entirety
Page 3, Section 1, Lines 36-39: Delete in their entirety
Page 3, Line 40: Insert new section:
“2. P.L.2019, c.377 is repealed.”
Page 3, Section 2, Line 41: Delete “2.” and insert “3.”
Respectfully,
[seal]
/s/ Philip D. Murphy
Governor
Attest:
/s/ Parimal Garg
Chief Counsel to the Governor