A-1777

Sponsored by: Assemblyman WAYNE P. DEANGELO District 14 (Mercer and Middlesex)

STATEMENT

This bill provides that a local unit may contract with a private entity to lease advertising space on the local unit's official Internet website, in accordance with regulations promulgated by the Department of Community Affairs (DCA) and to the extent allowed under federal law.

The bill requires DCA to develop a standard contract for the lease of advertising space on an Internet website, to include terms that provide for the payment of a fee by the person leasing the advertising space, and require advertisements to comply with provisions relating to content and composition.

The bill requires DCA to promulgate regulations to establish guidelines relating to the content and composition of advertisements that may be placed on an Internet website; procedures for procuring advertisements that relate, to the greatest extent practicable, to the stated purpose of the local unit; policies that require each advertisement to be clearly labeled on the Internet website as an advertisement and a disclaimer on each Internet website that clearly states that the local unit does not endorse the products or services advertised on the state agency Internet website; a schedule of fees to be charged for the lease of advertising space; and the amount of lease payments that a private entity may retain for administering the lease contracts. The bill requires a private entity administering the lease contracts to collect the fees due from the leasing entities and, after deducting the private entity's fees, to forward the remainder of the fees collected to the treasurer of the local unit.