SENATE, No. 59

 

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

 

Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel

 

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 1996 SESSION

 

 

By Senators O’CONNOR and GORMLEY

 

 

An Act concerning the Vietnam Veterans' Memorial Committee and amending P.L.1992, c.113.

 

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

 

    1. (New section) The Vietnam Veterans' Memorial Committee, created by P.L.1985, c.494 and reconstituted by P.L.1989, c.148, shall continue in existence with the same membership serving on May 7, 1995 and the same powers and duties heretofore provided, including responsibility for the design and construction of that part of the Vietnam Veterans' Memorial known as the Vietnam Era Educational Center. Any vacancy in the membership of the committee shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointments were made.

 

    2. (New section) Official actions taken by the committee between May 7, 1995 and the effective date of this act are hereby expressly validated. The committee is authorized to expend funds appropriated to it from the Vietnam Veterans' Memorial Fund for expenses related to the design and construction of the Vietnam Era Educational Center.

 

    3. Section 1 of P.L.1992, c.113 (C.5:5-44.7) is amended to read as follows:

    1. a. The New Jersey Racing Commission shall designate one of the racing days authorized each year to a holder of a permit to hold or conduct a horse race meeting pursuant to P.L.1940, c.17 (C.5:5-22 et seq.) as "Charity Racing Day for the Vietnam Veterans' Memorial" or shall allot to each such permit holder one additional racing day to be known as "Charity Racing Day for the Vietnam Veterans' Memorial."

    b. All moneys received by the commission as its share of the total contributions to all parimutuel pools conducted or made on the racing day designated or allotted pursuant to subsection a. of this section shall be deposited in the Vietnam Veterans' Memorial Fund, created pursuant to section 4 of P.L.1985, c.494 (C.52:18A-208).

    c. The commission shall designate or allot the days provided for in subsection a. of this section until sufficient funds from all sources have been credited to the Vietnam Veterans' Memorial Fund, created pursuant to section 4 of P.L.1985, c.494 (C.52:18A-208), to pay for the construction of the Vietnam Veterans' Memorial. The Vietnam Veterans' Memorial Committee, established pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1985, c.494 and reconstituted pursuant to section 1 of P.L.1989, c.148, shall inform the commission of the amount necessary to construct this memorial, and the State Treasurer shall periodically certify to the commission the amount of moneys in the fund.

    d. For the purposes of this section, the Vietnam Veterans' Memorial shall include that part of the memorial known as the Vietnam Era Educational Center.

(cf: P.L.1992, c.113, s.1)

 

    4. This act shall take effect immediately and shall be retroactive to May 7, 1995; sections 1 and 2 shall expire upon completion of the Vietnam Era Educational Center and payment of all expenses incurred in connection with the design and construction thereof.

 

 

STATEMENT

 

    The purpose of this bill is to clarify that the Vietnam Veterans' Memorial Committee has continued to exist and shall continue in existence until completion of that part of the Vietnam Veterans' Memorial known as the Vietnam Era Educational Center. The memorial consists of two parts: the "circular memorial" which was dedicated on May 7, 1995 and the educational center which, when completed, will explain the history of the Vietnam War and the role of the military personnel who served and died in Southeast Asia. Existing law provides that the memorial committee will expire upon dedication of the memorial. Although this was intended to mean dedication of the entire memorial, including the educational center, it has been alleged by some that the committee expired on May 7 when the "circular memorial" portion was dedicated. This bill addresses this perceived problem by expressly continuing the committee's existence until the educational center's completion.

 

 

 

Clarifies that Vietnam Veterans' Memorial Committee will continue until completion of Vietnam Era Educational Center.