No More Muting the Public: New NJ Law Would Force Boards to Let Every Resident Speak

Your Voice Matters: New NJ Bill Could End the “Time’s Up” at Town Hall

file photo courtesy of Boyd Loving

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

TRENTON, N.J. — Have you ever waited hours at a school board or town council meeting, only to be told the “public comment portion has ended” before you could get to the microphone?

A bold new piece of legislation introduced for the 2026 session aims to make that frustration a thing of the past. Assembly Bill No. 2953, sponsored by Assemblyman Erik Peterson (R-23), would fundamentally change how local government bodies interact with the people they serve.

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The “Three-Minute Guarantee”: What’s in the Bill?

The core of the legislation is simple: every resident who wants to speak should be allowed to speak. If passed, the bill would amend the “Senator Byron M. Baer Open Public Meetings Act” (the state’s transparency law) with three major mandates:

• Sufficient Time: Municipal governing bodies and boards of education must set aside enough time at every meeting to accommodate all requests for public comment.

• The Three-Minute Rule: Officials would be legally prohibited from giving a speaker less than three uninterrupted minutes to address the body.

• A “No-Vote” Safety Valve: If public comment runs longer than the scheduled meeting time, officials cannot take a vote on the topic being discussed. Instead, the meeting must be continued to a later date, and the vote is delayed until everyone has had their say.

“When a New Jerseyan attends a council meeting… they should have the opportunity to speak for three uninterrupted minutes during public comment, regardless of how many people wish to be heard.” — Assemblyman Erik Peterson

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Why Is This Bill Being Introduced Now?

In recent years, New Jersey has seen a surge in attendance at local meetings, ranging from heated debates over property taxes and zoning to school curriculum and safety. Many residents have complained that boards use “internal rules” to cap public comment at 30 minutes or an hour, effectively silencing latecomers when a crowd is large.

By making the three-minute minimum a state law, this bill (co-sponsored by Assemblyman John DiMaio) seeks to strip local boards of the power to “timer-out” dissent or feedback.

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Bill Fast Facts

Feature	Current Practice	Under Bill A2953
Speaker Time Limit	Varies by town/board (often 2 mins)	Minimum 3 minutes
Total Comment Cap	Can be capped by the board	Must accommodate everyone
Voting on Hot Topics	Can vote after comment is capped	Vote delayed until all speak
Transparency Law	Open Public Meetings Act (OPMA)	Expanded & Strengthened

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The Impact on Your Local Government

While advocates for the bill call it a victory for free speech, some local officials argue it could lead to “marathon meetings” that stretch into the early morning hours. However, the bill provides a solution: if the clock runs out, the conversation—and the decision—simply moves to the next meeting.

For the average New Jerseyan, this means you can finally head to a meeting knowing that your three minutes are protected by law.

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Tags: #NJPolitics #Trenton #PublicMeetings #FreeSpeech #NewJersey #SchoolBoard #LocalGovernment #OpenGovernment