Tools for the office that has to get this right.

• Tool

  Readiness check

  Twelve questions on use, records, data and people, and the three steps to take first.

• Tool

  Vendor question sheet

  The questions to put to a vendor in writing, for the kind of product you’re looking at.

• Tool

  Web deadline finder

  The federal web accessibility deadline for any Bergen County town, or for a government of any size.

• Template

  AI use register

  One row per tool: who uses it, what it can see, who approves its output and what it creates.

• Template

  Records decision sheet for AI

  Prompts, outputs, drafts and logs: whether each is a record, who keeps it and for how long.

• Template

  Staff guidelines for AI use

  One page for staff: what may go into a tool, what may not and who checks the result.

• Checklist

  Municipal website page review

  Sixteen checks for clear instructions, dependable information, access and maintenance. Includes a printable checklist, spreadsheets and a worked Construction example.

1. Guidelines for Developing Retention and Disposition Policies for Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning Systems

   New Jersey Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services, February 2025, revised July 2025.

   The State’s statement that records created by government systems using AI are public records, and which prompts, outputs and logs to plan for.

2. A Citizen’s Guide to the Open Public Records Act

   New Jersey Government Records Council, Fifth Edition, October 2024.

   The Open Public Records Act as amended in 2024 (P.L. 2024, c. 16, in effect since September 3, 2024): what counts as a government record, what must be redacted and how fast to respond.

3. Senator Byron M. Baer Open Public Meetings Act, N.J.S.A. 10:4-6 to 10:4-21

   State of New Jersey.

   What minutes must show, including each member’s vote: the test any AI-drafted minutes have to pass.

4. Office of Information Privacy (Daniel’s Law)

   New Jersey Department of Community Affairs.

   Who is protected under Daniel’s Law, and how local agencies shield covered home addresses on their own websites.

5. Joint Circular 23-OIT-007: State of New Jersey Interim Guidance on Responsible Use of Generative AI

   New Jersey Office of Information Technology.

   The State’s own rules for its employees, issued under Executive Order 346 of October 10, 2023: label AI content, keep personal information out, verify everything. A town can start from them.

6. Local Finance Notice 2025-08: Adjustments to Public Bidding Thresholds and Office of State Comptroller Reporting Thresholds Effective July 1, 2025

   New Jersey Division of Local Government Services, July 7, 2025.

   The maximum bid and quote thresholds a town may authorize, and the pay-to-play threshold, that every municipal purchase is measured against.

7. Extension of Compliance Dates for Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability; Accessibility of Web Information and Services of State and Local Government Entities

   U.S. Department of Justice, interim final rule, Federal Register, April 20, 2026.

   Moves the web accessibility deadlines: April 26, 2027, for public entities of 50,000 or more, and April 26, 2028, for smaller ones and special districts. The standard stays WCAG 2.1 AA.

8. AI Risk Management Framework (AI RMF 1.0)

   National Institute of Standards and Technology, January 2023.

   The voluntary federal framework most vendor and policy language now points to. Its generative AI profile, NIST AI 600-1, covers the risks particular to chat and drafting tools.

9. GovAI Coalition Templates and Resources

   Digital Government Hub.

   Policy, vendor agreement, incident response and use-case templates that public agencies share, and the AI FactSheet vendors fill in.

10. Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policies and Resources for Local Governments

    MRSC (Municipal Research and Services Center, Washington).

    Another state’s library of local AI policies, public records guidance and procurement advice.

• InnovateUS, with the New Jersey State League of Municipalities

  Free self-paced courses and free one-hour live workshops, with a fall 2026 series on AI adoption, procurement and cybersecurity.

• Responsible AI for Public Professionals: Using Generative AI at Work

  New Jersey’s free course, built with InnovateUS for State employees and open to every public-sector professional.

Sources: InnovateUS, New Jersey League of Municipalities partner page; “First Course Served, N.J. Partners to Broaden AI Training,” Government Technology, July 24, 2024. Accessed September 27, 2026.