The New Jersey Assembly has voted to provide additional oversight of Hurricane Sandy recovery and rebuilding projects.
 

One of the bills requires quarterly reports on Sandy recovery funding and a website to provide detailed information on state contract and grant recipients.

Assembly Budget Committee chairman Vinnie Prieto says another measure authorizes the use of integrity monitors who would oversee rebuilding projects to detect potential abuse and fraud.

“People try and always find a way. We’re talking about billions of dollars. We want to make sure that something is in place that you don’t get bogus companies or whatever it is that take people for a ride.”

Last week Governor Chris Christie signed an executive order authorizing the state comptroller to review all Sandy-related contracts. Prieto says the legislature wants to ensure that oversight goes into law so the relief money is properly distributed.

“We’re not trying to become impediments to this process. We want to make sure we rebuild as quickly as possible. We just want to make it gets to the right individuals, the money is spent here, and hopefully it stays in New Jersey so it helps our economy grow.”