New Jersey A 4631: Prohibits BPU from hiring certain third-party consultants; requires certain third-party consultants of BPU to disclose list of certain clients.

Bill Text

A4631 

ASSEMBLY, No. 4631 

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

� 

INTRODUCED MARCH 10, 2026

Sponsored by:

Assemblyman� ALEX SAUICKIE

District 12 (Burlington, Middlesex, Monmouth and Ocean)

SYNOPSIS

���� Prohibits BPU from hiring certain third-party 
consultants; requires certain third-party consultants of BPU to disclose list 
of certain clients. 

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT 

���� As introduced.

�� 

An Act concerning certain consultants of the New Jersey 
Board of Public Utilities and supplementing Title 48 of the Revised Statutes.

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

���� 1.��� a.� As used in this 
section:� 

���� �Board� means the New Jersey 
Board of Public Utilities, or any successor agency.

���� �Public utility� means the 
same as that term is defined in R.S.48:2-13.

���� �Public utility holding 
company� means the same as that term is defined in section 3 of P.L.1999, c.23 
(C.48:3-51).

���� �Third-party consultant� means 
an individual or private entity contracted by the board to prepare a report on 
behalf of the board.

���� b.��� The board shall not hire 
a third-party consultant who has worked for, or contracted with, a public 
utility or public utility holding company within 365 days of the date on which 
the board approved the contract.

���� c.���� A third-party 
consultant shall disclose a list of public utilities with which the third-party 
consultant has contracted within the prior three years.� The list shall be 
published on the Internet website of each public utility included on the list 
in a time, manner, and format to be determined by the board.

���� d.��� The board shall adopt, 
pursuant to the �Administrative Procedure Act,� P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et 
seq.), rules and regulations necessary to implement the provisions of this 
section.

���� 2.��� This act shall take 
effect immediately.

STATEMENT

���� This bill prohibits the New 
Jersey Board of Public Utilities (board) from hiring certain third-party 
consultants and requires certain third-party consultants to disclose a list of 
certain clients.

���� Specifically, under the bill, 
the board is prohibited from hiring a third-party consultant who has worked for 
a public utility or a public utility holding company within 365 days from when 
the board approved the contract.� In addition, the bill requires a third-party 
consultant to disclose a list of public utilities with which the third-party 
consultant has contracted within the prior three years.� The list is to be 
published on the Internet website of each public utility included on the list 
in a time, manner, and format to be determined by the board.

���� The 
board often hires third-party consultants to provide data to inform the board�s 
decision-making, which decisions directly impact public utility customers in 
the State.� It is the sponsor�s belief that prohibiting third-party consultants 
with potential ties to public utilities from working with the board within a 
certain period of time will help ensure that the board receives fair, unbiased 
reports from its consultants.

���� Under the bill, �third party 
consultant� is defined as an individual or private entity contracted by the 
board to prepare a report on behalf of the board.