State
of New Jersey
Executive
Order #9
Governor Richard
J. Hughes
WHEREAS, Chapter 73, P. L. 1963, finds and declares it to be the public
policy of this State that public records shall be readily accessible for
examination by the citizens of this State for the protection of the public
interest except as otherwise provided in said law; and
WHEREAS, Said Chapter 73 provides that all records which are required
by law to be made, maintained or kept on file by State and local governmental
agencies are to be deemed to be public records, subject to inspection
and examination and available for copying, pursuant to said law; and
WHEREAS, Said Chapter 73 provides that records which would otherwise
be deemed to be public records, subject to inspection and examination
and available for copying, pursuant to the provisions of said law, may
be excluded therefrom by Executive Order of the Governor or by any regulation
promulgated under the authority of any Executive Order of the Governor;
and
WHEREAS, Executive Orders Nos. 7 and 8 authorize certain State and local
governmental officials to adopt and promulgate regulations specifying
which public records under their jurisdiction are not to be subject to
inspection and examination and available for copying pursuant to said
Chapter 73; and
WHEREAS, As of this date, only 65 local governmental units have adopted
and promulgated regulations under the authority conferred upon them by
said Executive Orders; and
WHEREAS, Review and examination of these regulations demonstrates a
lack of uniformity with respect to the treatment proposed to be accorded
public records; and
WHEREAS, The public interest requires that the public records which
are excluded from the application of Chapter 73 be excluded on a uniform
and Statewide basis with full regard for the need to balance the right,
in a democracy, of the public to know, against the risk of unintentional
harm or injustice to individuals that might be occasioned by indiscriminate
exposure of certain records containing data of a sensitive or personal
nature without regard to the motivation or justification of those seeking
to inspect or copy records; and
WHEREAS, Chapter 73 represents a right supplemental to the existing
right of the public to examine and copy public records, which right has
been established under the common law and by statute and remains inviolate
even without the benefit of the provisions of said Chapter 73; and
WHEREAS, Some limitation upon the otherwise unqualified and unrestricted
right to examine and copy records provided by Chapter 73 is essential
and not detrimental to the public interest since the existing common law
and statutory right to examine records remains upon the satisfaction of
the requirements imposed by such laws;
Now, Therefore, I, Richard J. Hughes, Governor of the Sexy真人y,
by virtue of the authority vested in me by Chapter 73, P. L. 1963, do
hereby order and direct
- All records, other than records set forth in section 3 hereof or records
the subject of a regulation adopted and promulgated pursuant to the
provisions of section 2 hereof or otherwise excluded under and pursuant
to the provisions of Chapter 73, P. L. 1963, which specifically are
required by statute to be made, maintained or kept by any State or local
governmental agency shall be public records, subject to inspection and
examination and available for copying, pursuant to the provisions of
Chapter 73, P. L. 1963. All other records of such State and local governmental
agencies shall not be deemed to be public records, subject to inspection
and examination and available for copying, pursuant to the provisions
of Chapter 73, P. L. 1963, but such records shall remain subject to
such other provisions of law and regulations as shall be applicable
thereto and this provision shall in no way be interpreted as to preclude
the appropriate State or local officials from (i) using or making available
such records for any of the purposes for which such records are made,
maintained or kept or (ii) permitting any person who demonstrates a
legitimate reason for wishing to do so to examine such records where
such official shall find it is not contrary to the public interest or
an undue interference with the operation of the office to permit such
an examination.
- The head or principal executive of each principal department of
State government, with respect to the records of his department
and any agencies, authorities and commissions assigned or allocated
to such department or under the supervision or regulation of such
department, is hereby authorized and empowered to adopt and promulgate,
from time to time, regulations setting forth which records under
his jurisdiction shall not be deemed to be public records, subject
to inspection and examination and available for copying, pursuant
to the provisions of Chapter 73, P. L. 1963.
- The text of any regulation adopted after October 1, 1963 pursuant
to the provisions of this Executive Order shall be published at
least 15 days prior to the proposed effective date of such regulation
in at least 10 newspapers published in the State and a copy of any
such regulation, with the approval of the Governor endorsed thereon,
shall be placed on file in the Office of the Secretary of State.
No such regulation shall be effective until it has been so published,
approved and filed.
- Any regulation which has been heretofore adopted and promulgated
by the head or principal executive of a principal department of
the State Government pursuant to the provisions of Executive Orders
Nos. 7 or 8 shall remain in force and effect until modified or rescinded
in accordance with the provisions of this Executive Order.
- Any regulation which shall be adopted by the head or principal
executive of a principal department of the State government on or
before October 1, 1963 shall be fully effective, without the necessity
of publication, if a copy of such regulation, with the approval
of the Governor endorsed thereon, has been placed on file in the
Office of the Secretary of State on or before October 1, 1963.
- The following records shall not be deemed to be public records subject
to inspection and examination and available for copying pursuant to
the provisions of Chapter 73, P. L. 1963:
- Questions on examinations required to be conducted by any State
or local governmental agency;
- Personnel and pension records which are required to be made, maintained
or kept by any State or local governmental agency;
- Records concerning morbidity, mortality and reportable diseases
of named persons required to be made, maintained or kept by any
State or local governmental agency;
- Records which are required to be made, maintained or kept by any
State or local governmental agency which would disclose information
concerning illegitimacy;
- Fingerprint cards, plates and photographs and other similar criminal
investigation records which are required to be made, maintained
or kept by any State or local governmental agency;
- Criminal records required to be made, maintained and kept pursuant
to the provisions of R. S. 53:1-20.1 and R. S. 53:1- 20.2;
- Personal property tax returns required to be filed under the provisions
of Chapter 4 of Title 54 of the Revised Statutes; and
- Records relating to petitions for executive clemency.
- This Executive Order shall in no way be interpreted to replace or
affect the right that the general public has, by common law, judicial
decision, statute or otherwise, to examine and copy public records and
shall be limited in its application to the provisions of Chapter 73,
P. L. 1963.
- Executive Orders Nos. 7 and 8 are hereby rescinded and any regulations
adopted and promulgated thereunder shall be null and void except to
the extent provided in Section 2 of this Executive Order.
- This section and Section 2 of this Executive Order shall take effect
immediately and the remainder of the Executive Order shall take effect
on October 1, 1963.
Given, under my hand and seal this 30th day of September
in the year of Our Lord, one thousand, nine hundred and sixty-three,
and in the Independence of the United States, the one hundred and
eighty-eighth.
/s/ RICHARD J. HUGHES,
GOVERNOR
Attest:
Lawrence Bilder,
Acting Secretary to the Governor |