4. a. In order to implement the purpose of the program, the department shall, within one year of the effective date of this amendatory and supplementary act, consult with New Jersey business groups in order to develop ways to stimulate the development of directories by the private sector. The groups to be consulted may include, but need not be limited to, the New Jersey Business and Industry Association, the New Jersey State Chamber of Commerce, the South Jersey Chamber of Commerce, municipal chambers of commerce, State and local economic development agencies, other local business groups, regional offices of the department, private sector nonprofit entities organized to promote economic development in the State, and community college associations.

The department shall provide advice, based on its experience in producing departmental business directories, to business and trade groups and associations in order to facilitate the development of comprehensive business directories, to the greatest extent possible, through private sector financing.

b. The directories shall include, but not necessarily be limited to, a catalog of New Jersey manufacturing, supply, distribution and service businesses by product or service description, as appropriate, in a manner to be determined by the commissioner of the department in consultation with the business groups enumerated in subsection a. of this section. The directories shall be available for purchase by businesses throughout the State and outside the State.

c. The department shall encourage private sector businesses, private sector nonprofit entities, regional groups or partnerships and industry sector networks to make the directories available as soon as practicable and to implement steps to inform the business community throughout the State of the benefits of using the directories to purchase goods and services from New Jersey businesses. As used in this section, “industry sector network” means clusters of two or more businesses that are (1) within an industry that makes or could make an important contribution to the economy of the State, which may include, but need not be limited to, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, communications, telecommunications, electronics, software, insurance, tourism, transportation, construction, agriculture, and biotechnology, and (2) working jointly to manufacture, sell or market products, develop technologies or create or disseminate information.

L.1995,c.210,s.4.