ASSEMBLY CONCURRENT RESOLUTION No. 3

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

INTRODUCED DECEMBER 4, 1997

By Assemblymen COLLINS and DORIA

A Concurrent Resolution creating a Joint Committee on Automobile Insurance Reform.

Whereas, The time has come to put aside partisan rhetoric and begin a bipartisan effort to arrive at a consensus on meaningful automobile insurance reform to achieve cost savings to the driving public; now, therefore,

    Be It Resolved by the General Assembly of the State of New Jersey (the Senate concurring):

    The Joint Rules of the Senate and the General Assembly are amended by the addition of the following temporary rules:

    1. a. There is created a Joint Committee on Automobile Insurance Reform. The committee shall consist of 12 members, six members of the Senate appointed by the President of the Senate, no more than four of whom shall be of the same political party, and six members of the General Assembly appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly, no more than four of whom shall be of the same political party. A member may be removed from the committee at any time by the appointing officer.

    b. The respective members of the joint committee appointed from the Senate and the General Assembly shall constitute a standing reference committee of each House which shall have and exercise on behalf of each House the same continuing authority as other standing reference committees of either House. The joint committee shall in all other respects be treated as a standing reference committee of either House with respect to the referral, consideration and reporting of bills, joint resolutions, concurrent resolutions or resolutions. Any bills, joint resolutions, concurrent resolutions, or resolutions reported by the joint committee shall be reported to the House of origin of the legislation. Notwithstanding any rule of either House, no bill or resolution reported by the committee shall be required to be referred to a second committee of a House for further review or consideration.

    c. Upon the completion of its duties, the committee shall expire.

    2. It shall be the duty of the joint committee to review, consider and formulate proposals for reform of the private passenger automobile insurance system and, in so doing, to review and consider the current system of private passenger automobile insurance in this State and the factors that contribute to its costs.

    3. The joint committee shall organize as soon as possible after the appointment of its members and two co-chairpersons, one member from each House, shall be selected from among its members by the respective presiding officers of the two Houses.

    4. The committee 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, agency or authority 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 may be authorized by the presiding officers of the Houses, 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.

    5. The committee may conduct public hearings in furtherance of its oversight functions at such places as it shall designate, at which it may request the appearance of officials of any State, county or municipal department, board, bureau, commission, agency or authority and solicit the testimony of interested groups and the general public.

    6. The committee may adopt rules for its operation and the conduct of its business, provided the rules are not inconsistent with the Joint Rules of the Senate and the General Assembly or the rules of either House.

    7. This concurrent resolution shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

    This concurrent resolution creates a Joint Committee on Automobile Insurance Reform of the Legislature to review, consider and formulate proposals for reform of the private passenger automobile insurance system in New Jersey. In so doing, the committee shall review and consider the current system of private passenger automobile insurance in this State and the factors that contribute to its costs.

    The joint committee will consist of 12 members, six from each House appointed by the President and Speaker, respectively, with not more than four from each House being members of the same political party. Two co-chairpersons, one from each House, will be selected by the respective presiding officers. The respective members of the joint committee appointed from the Senate and the General Assembly shall constitute a standing reference committee of each House which shall have and exercise on behalf of each House the same continuing authority as other standing reference committees of either House. The joint committee shall in all other respects be treated as a standing reference committee of either House with respect to the referral, consideration and reporting of bills, joint resolutions, concurrent resolutions or resolutions. Any bills, joint resolutions, concurrent resolutions, or resolutions reported by the joint committee shall be reported to the House of origin of the legislation. Notwithstanding any rule of either House, no bill or resolution reported by the committee shall be required to be referred to a second committee of a House for further review or consideration.

    Upon the completion of its duties, the committee shall expire.

Creates Joint Committee on Automobile Insurance Reform.