ASSEMBLY, No. 1647

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

INTRODUCED MARCH 4, 1996

By Assemblyman COHEN and Assemblywoman GILL

An Act establishing a Commission on Blood Testing and Amateur Athletes.

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

    1. There is created a Commission on Blood Testing and Amateur Athletes to consist of 17 members as follows: the Commissioners of Health and Education and the chairman of the New Jersey Commission on Higher Education, the chairman of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, and the chairman of the Governor's Advisory Council on AIDS, or their designees, who shall serve ex officio; and 12 members to be appointed from the general public, as follows: four each by the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the General Assembly, who in each case shall include the following: two persons each of whom by virtue of education or experience is considered an expert in the field of amateur athletics, one person who is a physician licensed to practice medicine in this State, and one other person with an interest or expertise in this issue.

    Vacancies in the membership of the commission shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointments were made.

    2. a. The commission shall organize as soon as may be practicable after the appointment of its members and shall select a chairperson from among its members and may appoint a secretary who need not be a member of the commission.

    b. The commission may meet and hold hearings at such place or places as it shall designate during the sessions or recesses of the Legislature.

    c. Members of the commission shall serve without compensation but shall be reimbursed for the necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties as members of the commission.

    3. 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 and clerical assistants and incur such traveling and other miscellaneous expenses as it may deem necessary, in order to perform its duties, and as may be within the limits of funds appropriated or otherwise made available to it for its purposes.

    4. It shall be the duty of the commission to examine the policy and ethical issues relating to the testing of high school and college students who participate in athletic competition for the presence of the human immunodeficiency virus or acquired immune deficiency syndrome.

    5. The commission shall report its findings and recommendations to the Governor and Legislature within nine months after the effective date of this act, and shall accompany the same with any legislative bills which it may desire to recommend for adoption by the Legislature.

    6. This act shall take effect immediately and shall expire upon the issuance of the report by the commission pursuant to section 5 of this act.

STATEMENT

    This bill establishes a 17-member Commission on Blood Testing and Amateur Athletes to examine the policy and ethical issues relating to the testing of high school and college student athletes for HIV and AIDS. The commission is directed to report its findings and recommendations to the Governor and the Legislature within nine months after the effective date of the bill.

Establishes Commission on Blood Testing and Amateur Athletes.