ASSEMBLY RESOLUTION No. 43

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 1996 SESSION

By Assemblywoman GILL and Assemblyman JONES

An Assembly Resolution increasing the timeframe for the notice provisions for committee agendas and amending Rule 74 and 75.

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

    1. Rule 74 is amended to read as follows:

    74. Each standing reference committee shall meet at such time and place as its chair shall designate; provided, however, that no meeting shall be scheduled by the chair in conflict with the schedule established by the Speaker for a day when the General Assembly is in session.

    The chair shall cause to be communicated to the majority staff and the Office of Legislative Services such information as may be necessary for the Office to give [five] fourteen days notice to the public and the members of the General Assembly of the time, place, and agenda for each committee meeting. Upon special order of the Speaker, the [five] fourteen day notice may be waived. No more than seven bills or resolutions may be considered at a committee meeting, other than an Appropriations Committee meeting, on a day when the General Assembly is in session except upon special order of the Speaker. No more than 12 bills or resolutions may be considered by the Appropriations Committee at a meeting on a day when the General Assembly is in session except upon special order of the Speaker.

    All meetings at which official committee action is to be taken shall be open to the general public. A committee may, upon the affirmative vote of a majority of its authorized membership at an open meeting, convene in closed or executive session for the purpose of discussing any matter before the committee, or for meeting with or taking testimony from any person; provided, however, that full discussion and consideration of any bills or resolutions and all motions and action thereon shall be made in public session.

    2. Rule 75 is amended to read as follows:

    75. Except upon special order of the Speaker, no bill or resolution shall be considered or reconsidered at a committee meeting unless the public and the membership of the General Assembly shall have been given [five] fourteen days notice of the time, place, and agenda for such meeting and the bill or resolution shall have been listed on the agenda for such meeting.

    A committee may take action on a motion to report a bill or resolution without amendment, with amendment, or by committee substitute; on a motion to table a bill or resolution; or on a motion to adopt an amendment to a bill or resolution. No motion to amend a bill or resolution or report a substitute bill or resolution shall be considered unless the amendment or substitute bill or resolution is available to the committee members in written form prior to the motion.

    No such motion to amend or substitute a bill or resolution or to report a bill or resolution with or without amendment or by committee substitute shall be adopted except upon the affirmative vote of a majority of the authorized membership of the committee by separate roll call during a meeting.

    3. This resolution shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

    This resolution increases to 14 the number of days that is necessary for notice to be given of a committee agenda. The rule previously provided for a five day notice provision.

    It is the sponsor's intention to provide more time for notice to allow more public participation and discussion in the legislative process. In addition, legislators would be able to be more prepared and deliberative in their duties.

Increases notice provisions for Assembly committee agendas to fourteen days.