§ 19:3-30 — Databases established; information on certain appointed positions and elected offices.

1. a. The Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers, The State University, shall establish and maintain two databases that contain for every person appointed to a State board, commission, authority, or other multi-member entity, and for every elected public official in this State, excluding school boards, the name of the individual, the title of the office held, the term of office, the race and the gender identity or expression of that individual, and the appointing authority. b. To establish the database of appointed officials, the Institute may transmit to any person appointed to a State board, commission, authority, or other multi-member entity on or before the effective date of this act, P.L.2021, c.414, a form, developed by the Institute, for completion that records the: (a) individual's full name; (b) the title of the office held and the mailing address for that office; (c) the race of the individual, using the same racial categories as required on the federal decennial census of the United States by the federal Bureau of the Census; (d) the gender identity or expression of the individual; (e) the name and title of the appointing authority; and (f) the term of the office held. The transmission by the Governor or other appointing authority to the Institute of contact information for appointees shall not be deemed a violation of any law, rule, or regulation concerning the confidentiality or privacy of such information. c. (1) To establish the database of elected officials, the Institute may transmit to any individual elected to public office in this State on or before the effective date of this act, P.L.2021, c.414, a form, developed by the Institute, for completion that records: (a) the individual's full name; (b) the title of the public office held and the mailing address for that public office; (c) the race of the individual, using the same racial categories as required on the federal decennial census of the United States by the federal Bureau of the Census; (d) the gender identity or expression of the individual; and (e) the term of the office held. The Secretary of State shall cooperate with the Institute regarding the survey. (2) To maintain the database of elected officials, no later than 30 days after certification of an election in this State, including an election for an individual selected to fill a vacancy in an elective public office for the remainder of a term, the Secretary of State shall transmit to the Institute the election results. The transmission by the Secretary of State to the Institute of any contact information shall not be deemed a violation of any law, rule, or regulation concerning the confidentiality or privacy of such information. d. (1) The Institute shall use the information from the forms received pursuant to subsections b. and c. of this section, to establish and maintain separate databases for appointed public officials and for elected public officials. The databases shall be searchable by the public official's name, title of the office held, the term of the office held, the public official's race, the public official's gender identity or expression, and the appointing authority. Each database shall be available to the public in a prominent location on the website of the Institute, of Rutgers, The State University, and of the Secretary of State. (2) The information in each database shall be reviewed and updated in a timely manner, but no less than once each calendar year. Information on completed forms received by the Institute shall be added to the database within 21 business days of receipt. L.2021, c.414, s.1.