8. a. The commission shall adopt rules and regulations to carry out its purposes, including procedures to facilitate the solicitation and receipt of comments in the preparation of the preliminary and final plan and to ensure a process for comparison of the plan with county and municipal master plans and regional plans, and procedures for coordinating the information collection, storage and retrieval activities of the various State agencies, and to establish a process for the endorsement of municipal, county, and regional plans that are consistent with the State Development and Redevelopment Plan.

b. Any municipality or county or portion thereof located in the Highlands preservation area as defined in section 3 of P.L.2004, c.120 (C. 13:20-3) shall be exempt from the plan endorsement process established in the rules and regulations adopted pursuant to subsection a. of this section. Upon the State Planning Commission endorsing the regional master plan adopted by the Highlands Water Protection and Planning Council pursuant to section 8 of P.L.2004, c.120 (C. 13:20-8), any municipal master plan and development regulations or county master plan and associated regulations that have been approved by the Highlands Water Protection and Planning Council pursuant to section 14 or 15 of P.L.2004, c.120 (C. 13:20-14 or C. 13:20-15) shall be deemed the equivalent of having those plans endorsed by the State Planning Commission.

L.1985,c.398,s.8; amended 2004, c.120, s.69.