ASSEMBLY, No. 257

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 1996 SESSION

By Assemblymen GARCIA and ROMANO

An Act creating a commission to plan the commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the first game of baseball and making an appropriation.

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

    1. The Legislature finds and declares that:

    a. June 19, 1996 will mark the 150th anniversary of the first game of baseball, which was played at the Elysian Fields in the city of Hoboken, New Jersey;

    b. That 1846 game, in which the New York Nine defeated the New York Knickerbockers by a score of 23-1, was played under rules developed by surveyor and amateur athlete Alexander Joy Cartwright and featured teams of nine men on a diamond-shaped playing field with a hardball;

    c. Since that time, baseball has become this country's most cherished sport and is a uniquely American game now played throughout the world;

    d. In 1946, the 100th year anniversary of the game, a ceremony was held at the site of Elysian Fields and attended by the Commissioner of Baseball and the Major League Presidents, but it is Cooperstown, New York and not Hoboken, that has become associated with the origins of the sport; and

    e. It is fitting and proper for this State to call attention to its importance to the sport that has become our "national pastime" by planning and participating in a commemoration to mark the 150th anniversary of its being played first in Hoboken.

    2. There is created a 13-member Commemoration of the First Game of Baseball Commission (hereafter referred to as the commission), which shall consist of two members of the Senate, appointed by the President thereof; two members of the General Assembly, appointed by the Speaker thereof; the Commissioner of Commerce or the designee thereof, the Secretary of State or the designee thereof, and a representative of the Governor who shall serve as ex-officio members; five public members appointed by the Governor; and the Mayor of the city of Hoboken or the designee thereof. No more than one of the two members appointed by the President and the Speaker and no more than three of the five members appointed by the Governor shall be of the same political party. Vacancies in the membership of the commission shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointments were made. All members shall serve without compensation but shall be reimbursed for their expenses actually incurred in the performance of their duties.

    3. The commission shall organize no later than the 30th day after the appointment of its members and shall select a chairman and vice-chairman, not of the same political party, and a secretary who need not be a member of the commission.

    4. It shall be the duty of the commission to plan the State commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the first game of baseball; to plan, in particular, a series of major events in Hoboken and throughout the State to commemorate the playing of the first such game; to explore the possibility of enlisting the support and cooperation of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum at Cooperstown, New York, in participating in the event; and to enlist the support of the New Jersey business and baseball communities in the event.

    5. The commission shall be entitled to call to its assistance and avail itself of the services of such 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 such stenographic, clerical and professional assistance and incur such traveling and other miscellaneous expenses as it may deem necessary in order to perform its duties, within the limits of funds appropriated or otherwise made available to it for its purposes.

    6. The commission may accept donations or grants of money, property or personal services from any source. The commission may also initiate and participate in fund-raising activities consistent with the purposes of this act.

    7. There is appropriated to the commission from the General Fund the sum of $50,000 for the purposes of this act.

    8. This act shall take effect immediately and expire on September 1, 1996.

STATEMENT

    This bill creates a 13-member Commemoration of the First Game of Baseball Commission to plan State activities to mark the 150th anniversary of the playing of the first game of baseball at the Elysian Fields in Hoboken, New Jersey.

    The commission would consist of two members of the Senate, appointed by the President thereof; two members of the General Assembly, appointed by the Speaker thereof; the Commissioner of Commerce or the designee thereof, the Secretary of State or the designee thereof, and a representative of the Governor who shall serve as ex-officio members; five public members appointed by the Governor; and the Mayor of the city of Hoboken or the designee thereof. No more than one of the two members appointed by the President and the Speaker and no more than three of the five members appointed by the Governor could be of the same political party.

    It would be the duty of the commission to plan the State commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the first game of baseball; to plan, in particular, a series of major events in Hoboken and throughout the State to commemorate the playing of the first such game; to explore the possibility of enlisting the support and cooperation of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum at Cooperstown, New York, in participating in the event; and to enlist the support of the New Jersey business and baseball communities in the event.

Creates 13-member Commemoration of the First Game of Baseball Commission; appropriates $50,000.