ASSEMBLY COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

[First Reprint]

SENATE, No. 1103

with committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED: MAY 5, 1997

      The Assembly Community Services Committee reports favorably Senate Bill No. 1103 (1R) with committee amendments.

      As amended by committee, this bill renames the Commission on Racism, Racial Violence and Religious Violence as the Commission on Racism, the Status of Minorities, and Racial Violence and Religious Violence. This is being done in order to reflect the commission's expanded scope under the bill.

      In addition to its current functions, the commission shall study the status of New Jersey's ethnic and racial minorities in terms of their access to educational opportunities, health care, social services, housing and mortgage financing, employment opportunities, business financing, and fair treatment under the criminal justice system. The commission shall annually make recommendations to the Governor and the Legislature regarding one or more of these issue-areas.

      The amendments add the Asian-American Political Coalition to the list of organizations from which members of the commission shall be selected, and make a spelling correction.

      This bill is identical to Assembly Bill No. 2605 (Aca) which was amended and released by this committee on this date.