SENATE BILL NO. 4161

(First Reprint)

To the Senate:

Pursuant to Article V, Section I, Paragraph 14 of the New Jersey Constitution, I herewith return Senate Bill No. 4161 (First Reprint) with my recommendations for reconsideration.

This bill removes the requirement for promulgation by the Governor of the national census.  Under current law, the Governor is authorized to file in the Office of the Secretary of State a copy of the bulletin issued by the director of the national census, which is an official promulgation of the census.  However, the director of the national census no longer issues a bulletin regarding the census.  As the bill notes, the information is now available online directly from the Census Bureau and has already been published online by the Office of the Secretary of State.  Therefore, this information has already been made available.  This bill authorizes the Governor to issue a statement declaring the date on which the census was received.  The bill also states that whenever in any statute or regulation reference is made to promulgation of the federal decennial census, the same will mean and refer to the receipt by the Governor of the official federal decennial census.

I commend the sponsors for bringing an antiquated statute in line with modern practice and for recognizing the impact of the census on the lives of all New Jerseyans.  My recommendations today are submitted in partnership with the sponsors and merely extends the deadline by which municipal ward boundaries must be adjusted.  My recommendations also remove any ambiguity as to when the Governor received the census data by removing the provision deeming the Governor’s statement, rather than actual receipt, determinative of when the Governor received the data.

Accordingly, I herewith return Senate Bill No. 4161 (First Reprint) and recommend that it be amended as follows:

Page 2, Section 1, Line 12:        After “census.” delete “The”

Page 2, Section 1, Lines 13-14:    Delete in their entirety

Page 2, Section 1, Line 15:        Delete “census.”

Page 6, Line 41:                  Insert new section:

                                  “11. Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, with respect to the 2020 decennial census, the deadlines set forth in sections 5 and 7 of P.L.1981, c.496 (C.40:44-13 and C.40:44-15) shall be extended by seven days.”

Page 6, Section 11, Line 42:       Delete “11.” and insert “12.”

                                  Respectfully,

     [seal]

                             /s/ Philip D. Murphy

                             Governor

Attest:

/s/ Parimal Garg

Chief Counsel to the Governor