SENATE, No. 778

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

218th LEGISLATURE

 

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2018 SESSION

 


 

Sponsored by:

Senator  SANDRA B. CUNNINGHAM

District 31 (Hudson)

Senator  THOMAS H. KEAN, JR.

District 21 (Morris, Somerset and Union)

Assemblywoman  ANNETTE QUIJANO

District 20 (Union)

Assemblywoman  MILA M. JASEY

District 27 (Essex and Morris)

Assemblywoman  ELIANA PINTOR MARIN

District 29 (Essex)

 

Co-Sponsored by:

Senators Bateman, Corrado, Brown, Beach, Gopal, Greenstein, Pou, Ruiz, Assemblywoman Pinkin, Assemblyman Wimberly, Assemblywomen Vainieri Huttle, McKnight, Lampitt, Timberlake, Murphy, Mosquera, Swain and Assemblyman Tully

 

 

 

 

SYNOPSIS

     Establishes Campus Sexual Assault Commission.

 

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

     As reported by the Senate Higher Education Committee with technical review.

  


An Act establishing a Campus Sexual Assault Commission and supplementing chapter 3B of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes. 

 

     Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

 

     1.    a. There is established a Campus Sexual Assault Commission in, but not of, the Department of State.  The commission shall consist of 12 members including:

     (1)   the Secretary of Higher Education, the Attorney General, and the Director of the Division on Women in the Department of Children and Families, or their designees, who shall serve ex officio;

     (2)   five public members appointed by the Governor, including a representative of the State colleges and universities established pursuant to chapter 64 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes, a representative of the public research universities, a representative of the county colleges, a representative of the independent colleges and universities, and a representative of the New Jersey Coalition Against Sexual Assault; and

     (3)   four public members with demonstrated expertise or interest in issues related to the work of the commission, including at least one individual who is a campus sexual assault survivor.  The President of the Senate, the Speaker of the General Assembly, the Minority Leader of the Senate, and the Minority Leader of the General Assembly shall each appoint one of these public members.

     b.    The public members shall serve for a term of three years, but of the members first appointed: three of the members appointed by the Governor shall serve for a term of three years; one of the members appointed by the Governor, the member appointed by the President of the Senate, and the member appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly shall serve for a term of two years; and one of the members appointed by the Governor, the member appointed by the Minority Leader of the Senate, and the member appointed by the Minority Leader of the General Assembly shall serve for a term of one year.

     c.     Vacancies in the membership of the commission shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointments are made and a member may be eligible for reappointment.  Vacancies occurring other than by expiration of a term shall be filled for the unexpired term. 

     d.    The members of the commission shall serve without compensation but shall be reimbursed for reasonable expenses necessarily incurred in the performance of their duties within the limits of funds appropriated or otherwise made available to the commission for its purposes.

     2.    The commission shall organize as soon as practicable following the appointment of its members, but no later than 60 days after the effective date of this act.  The commission shall choose a chairperson from among its members and shall appoint a secretary who need not be a member of the commission.  The commission shall meet quarterly, at a minimum.

 

     3.    The Office of the Secretary of Higher Education shall provide such stenographic, clerical, and other administrative assistants, and such professional staff as the commission requires to carry out its work.  The commission also shall be entitled to call to its assistance and avail itself of the services of the employees of any State, county, or municipal department, board, bureau, commission, or agency as it may require and as may be available for its purposes.

 

     4.    It shall be the responsibility of the commission to further the work of the Task Force on Campus Sexual Assault established pursuant to P.L.2015, c.165.  In particular, the commission shall:

     a.     study and evaluate emerging issues, policies, and practices concerning campus sexual assault;

     b.    monitor the response to, and implementation of, the recommendations put forth in the report issued by the task force established pursuant to P.L.2015, c.165; 

     c.     supplement the findings and recommendations, as necessary, of the report issued by the task force established pursuant to P.L.2015, c.165;

     d.    develop and administer, in consultation with the Secretary of Higher Education, a campus climate survey every three years; and

     e.     develop an action plan every three years that includes policies, programs, or procedures responsive to the issues and needs identified in the campus climate survey.

 

     5.    This act shall take effect immediately.