FILE - New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy delivers his State of the State address to a joint session of the Legislature at the Statehouse, Jan. 9, 2024, in Trenton, N.J. Murphy signed legislation Wednesday, June 5, overhauling access to the state's public records, likely making it harder for the public and media to access some documents, according to critics. – New Jersey Gov.
The legislation alters the state’s Open Public Records Act, which the public and journalists regularly use to get documents from state and local governments, including budgets, agency receipts, public salaries, correspondence and other information not always easy to unearth. One provision in the legislation permits officials to charge commercial interests as much as twice the cost of producing records. Other language authorizes agencies to sue requesters they accuse of interrupting “government function.” The new law also ends a requirement for towns to pay attorneys’ fees in court cases they lose over records requests.