AJR212

A Joint Resolution establishing a task force on cannabis related traffic fatalities.

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

1. a. There is hereby created a task force to be known as the “Task Force on Cannabis Related Traffic Fatalities.”

b. The task force shall consist of the following 21 members:

(1) seven ex officio members or their designees, who shall include the: Commissioner of Transportation; Attorney General; Commissioner of Human Services; Chief Administrator of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission; Executive Director of the Governor’s Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse; Director of the Division of Highway Traffic Safety in the Department of Law and Public Safety; and Superintendent of State Police; and

(2) six public members appointed by the Governor, who shall include a researcher from a college or university that engages in the study of issues related to cannabis legalization; a representative from the Fraternal Order of Police having expertise on the effects of cannabis on the operation of a motor vehicle; a representative from the Police Benevolent Association; and three members of the public who shall have education or experience in highway traffic safety;

(3) four public members appointed by the President of the Senate, who shall include three members of the New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police, to include a member from each of the southern, central, and northern regions of the State; and a member of the public who shall have education or experience in highway traffic safety;

(4) four public members appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly, who shall include a representative from the State Troopers Fraternal Association having expertise on the effects of cannabis on the operation of a motor vehicle; and three members of the public who shall have education or experience in highway traffic safety.

2. a. The task force shall study all aspects of the issue of cannabis related traffic fatalities and examine methods to prevent the incidence of cannabis related traffic fatalities. The task force shall make recommendations to enhance government services, enforcement, education, and interventions to prevent cannabis related traffic fatalities. The issues to be studied by the task force shall include, but not be limited to:

(1) the impact of cannabis use on the ability to operate a motor vehicle and traffic safety;

(2) motor vehicle crash statistics before and after cannabis legalization;

(3) public perception regarding the dangers of driving while under the influence of cannabis, to include the perspectives of a wide range of individuals;

(4) reasons why a person would choose to drive under the influence of cannabis;

(5) effective strategies to inform the public of the danger of driving while under the influence of cannabis;

(6) the effectiveness of past public awareness campaigns to reduce incidents of driving while intoxicated; and

(7) any other pertinent information needed to assure the safety of the public, including persons operating motor vehicles, pedestrians, and bicyclists.

b. The task force shall propose a new public awareness campaign and make recommendations regarding any action that it deems necessary to prevent persons from operating a motor vehicle under the influence of cannabis and cannabis related traffic fatalities.

3. a. The task force shall organize within nine months of the enactment into law of legislation legalizing for recreational use or decriminalizing certain amounts of cannabis and shall select a chairperson and vice-chairperson from among its members. The chairperson shall appoint a secretary, who need not be a member of the task force.

b. The task force shall regularly meet and hold hearings at the places it designates, and the presence of eleven members of the task force shall constitute a quorum at any meeting of the task force.

c. The task force may request at these hearings the appearance of officials of any State agency or political subdivision of the State and may solicit testimony or interested groups and the general public, including but not limited to law enforcement agencies, civic organizations, and advocacy groups with an interest in the prevention of drunk or impaired driving or roadway safety.

4. The task force 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 to it for its purposes, and to employ stenographic and clerical assistance and incur traveling and other miscellaneous expenses necessary to perform its duties, within the limits of funds appropriated or otherwise made available to it for its purposes.

5. Members of the task force shall serve without compensation, but shall be reimbursed for necessary expenses actually incurred in the performance of their duties as members of the task force.

6. The task force shall report its findings and recommendations, including legislative proposals, to the Governor, and to the Legislature pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), annually for a period of five years beginning no later than 24 months following the organization of the task force. Upon the filing of its final report the task force shall expire.

7. This joint resolution shall take effect immediately upon the enactment into law of legislation legalizing or decriminalizing certain amounts of cannabis and shall expire upon the submission of the task force’s final report required pursuant to section 6 of this act.

STATEMENT

This joint resolution establishes a 21-member “Task Force on Cannabis Related Traffic Fatalities” to study the issue of cannabis related traffic fatalities and examine methods to prevent the incidence of cannabis related traffic fatalities. In addition, the task force is to make recommendations to enhance government services, enforcement, education, and interventions to prevent cannabis related traffic fatalities.

The task force is to be comprised of the following 21 members: the Commissioner of Transportation, ex officio, or a designee; Attorney General, ex officio, or a designee; Chief Administrator of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission, ex officio, or a designee; a researcher from a college or university that engages in the study of issues related to cannabis legalization; Executive Director of the Governor’s Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse, ex officio, or a designee; the Director of the Division of Highway Traffic Safety in the Department of Law and Public Safety, ex officio, or a designee; the Superintendent of State Police, ex officio, or a designee; a representative from the Fraternal Order of Police having expertise on the effects of cannabis on the operation of a motor vehicle; a representative from the Police Benevolent Association; Commissioner of Human Services, ex officio, or a designee; three members of the New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police, to include a member from each of the southern, central, and northern regions of the State; a representative from the State Troopers Fraternal Association having expertise on the effects of cannabis on the operation of a motor vehicle; and seven member of the public whom shall have education or experience in highway traffic safety.

At a minimum, the task force is to consider the following:

(1) the impact of cannabis use on driving ability and traffic safety;

(2) motor vehicle crash statistics before and after cannabis legalization;

(3) public perception regarding the dangers of driving while under the influence of cannabis, to include the perspectives of a wide range of individuals;

(4) reasons why a person would choose to drive under the influence of cannabis;

(5) effective strategies to inform the public concerning the danger of driving while under the influence of cannabis;

(6) the effectiveness of past public awareness campaigns to reduce incidents of driving while intoxicated;

(7) any other pertinent information needed to assure the safety of the public, including persons operating motor vehicles, pedestrians, and bicyclists.

The task force is to propose a new public awareness campaign and make recommendations regarding any action that it deems necessary to prevent cannabis related traffic fatalities and driving while under the influence of cannabis.

The task force is to organize within nine months of the enactment into law of legislation legalizing recreational use or decriminalizing certain amounts of cannabis. The task force is to report its findings and recommendations, including legislative proposals, to the Governor, and to the Legislature annually for a period of five years beginning no later than 24 months following the organization of the task force. Upon the filing of its final report the task force is to expire.