Creates task force to study feasibility of paperless State government.

S3481

SENATE, No. 3481

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

INTRODUCED FEBRUARY 12, 2026

Sponsored by:

Senator� JAMES BEACH

District 6 (Burlington and Camden)

SYNOPSIS

���� Creates task force to study feasibility of paperless
State government.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� As introduced.

��

An Act

creating a task force to study the feasibility
of a paperless State government.

����
Be It
Enacted
by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:

���� 1.��� a.� There is established
a task force to study the feasibility of a paperless
Executive Branch of State government.
�

���� b.��� The task force shall
consist of 15 members as follows:

���� (1)�� the Secretary of State,
who shall serve ex officio;

���� (2)�� the Director of the New
Jersey Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Cell in the New Jersey
Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness, who shall serve ex officio;

���� (3) �the Chief Technology
Officer of the New Jersey Office of Information Technology, who shall serve ex
officio;

���� (4) �the Director of the New
Jersey Division of Taxation, who shall serve ex officio;

���� (5)�� the Treasurer of the
State of New Jersey, who shall serve ex officio;

���� (6)�� four public members who
shall be appointed by the Governor, at least two of whom shall be from
different political parties, including one representative with an expertise in
voting and election law, one representative with an expertise in government
information technology, one representative with an expertise in electronic
transaction and management, and one representative with an expertise in
cybersecurity;

���� (7)�� two public members
appointed by the Governor upon the recommendation of the Secretary of State,
each of whom shall be of different political parties, at least one of whom
shall have expertise in voting and elections;

���� (8)�� one public member
appointed by the Governor upon the recommendation of the President of the
Senate, with an expertise in government information technology;

���� (9)�� one public member
appointed by the Governor upon the recommendation of the Speaker of the General
Assembly, with an expertise in electronic transaction and management;

���� (10) �one public member
appointed by the Governor upon the recommendation of the Senate Minority
Leader, with an expertise in

revenue collection; and

���� (11) �one public member
appointed by the Governor upon the recommendation of the Assembly Minority
Leader, with an expertise in cybersecurity.

���� c.���� All appointments to the
task force shall be made not later than the 45th day after the effective date
of this act, P.L.���� , c. (pending before the
Legislature as this bill).� The task force shall convene its first meeting
within 30 days following the date on which the majority of its members have
been appointed.� The members shall elect one of the members to serve as chair
and one of the members to serve as vice-chair.� The chair and vice-chair shall
not be of the same political party.� The chair may appoint a secretary, who
need not be a member of the task force.�

���� d.��� The task force shall
meet at the call of the chair.� A meeting of the task force may be called upon
the request of eight members of the task force and eight members of the task
force shall constitute a quorum at any meeting.

���� e.���� The members of the task
force, other than those serving ex officio, shall serve for the duration of the
existence of the task force.� Any vacancy shall be filled in the same manner as
the original appointment.� The task force members shall serve without compensation,
but may be reimbursed for necessary expenses incurred in the performance of
their duties to the extent that funds are available for that purpose.

���� f.���� The task force shall be
entitled to the assistance and services of the employees of any State board,
bureau, commission, or agency as it may require, and as may be available to it
for these purposes including, but not limited to, stenographic and clerical
assistants within the limits of funds appropriated or otherwise made available
to it for its purposes.

���� g.��� The Department of State
shall assist the task force in the performance of its duties and provide the
task force with studies, data, or other materials relevant to the purposes of
the task force.

�����
2.�
a.� The
purpose of the task
force shall be to study the feasibility of a paperless system in the Executive
Branch.� At a minimum, the task force shall study the following:

���� (1) opportunities and risks associated with using
electronic registrations and electronic transactions;

���� (2) different types of technology available for the
State to develop a paperless system;

���� (3) cybersecurity protections
and technology
upgrades to State computer systems, networks, software, and hardware across all
State-level departments, commissions, councils, boards, authorities, offices,
and other agencies
;

���� (4)
any cost-benefit analysis concerning all
needed technology upgrades;

���� (5) the cost-benefit analysis
and feasibility of implementing paperless technology in the State and the best
approach to finance the cost of implementation;

���� (6) how the Legislature can modify current State laws to
support a secure paperless system;

���� (7)�
a summary of the benefits of a paperless
system;

���� (8)
opportunities
and risks associated with a paperless electronic permit submission process;

���� (9)
feasibility of a paperless records retention process; and

���� (10) such other topics relative to a paperless system in
the Executive Branch of State government.�

���� b.� The task force shall issue an interim report on its
activities and progress to the Governor and the Legislature, pursuant to
section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), within six months from the date of
its first meeting.� The report
shall include, but not be limited to, the
feasibility and logistics
of a
paperless system in the State government,
a cost-benefit analysis
concerning all needed technology upgrades, a summary of the benefits of a
paperless system, network interoperability,
and

any
other information relevant to the subject of the report.�
The task force shall issue its final
report within one year from the date of its first meeting.� At a minimum, the
final report shall provide updated information contained in the interim report
,
and any draft legislation the task force deems appropriate.

���� c.���� Following the issuance
of its final report, the task force shall convene at the call of the
chairperson to consider and respond to any written request submitted to it by a
legislator or officer or employee of the Executive Branch of State government
on any issue, item, or decision set forth in its report.

���� 3.��� This act shall take
effect immediately and shall expire six months after the issuance of the task
force�s final report.

STATEMENT

���� This bill establishes a task
force to study the feasibility of a paperless State government.� The task force
will consist of 15 members.� The
purpose of the task force will be to study the feasibility and logistics
of a paperless system in the Executive branch of State government.� At a
minimum, the task force will study:

���� (1)� the opportunities and risks associated with using
electronic registration and electronic transactions;

���� (2) different types of technology available for the
State to develop a paperless system;

���� (3)� cybersecurity protections
and technology
upgrades to State computer systems, networks, software, and hardware across all
State-level departments, commissions, councils, boards, authorities, offices,
or other appropriate agencies
;

���� (4)�
any cost-benefit analysis concerning all
needed technology upgrades;

���� (5)� a summary of the benefits
of a paperless system;

���� (6)� how the Legislature can modify current State laws
to support a secure paperless system;

���� (7)� the feasibility of implementing a paperless system
in the State and the best approach to finance the cost of implementing a
paperless system;

���� (8)� the opportunities and risks associated with a
paperless electronic permit submission process;

���� (9)� the feasibility of a paperless records retention
process; and

���� (10)� such other topics relative to a paperless system
in State government.�

���� The task force will issue an interim report on its
activities and progress to the Governor and the Legislature within six months
from the date of its first meeting.� The task force will issue its final report
within one year from the date of its first meeting.�
Following the
issuance of its final report, the task force will convene at the call of the
chairperson to consider and respond to any written request submitted to it by a
legislator or officer or employee of the Executive branch of State government
on any issue, item, or decision set forth in its report.� The task force will
expire six months after the issuance of the task force�s final report. �