S1947

SENATE, No. 1947

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

INTRODUCED MARCH 20, 1997

By Senators LITTELL, INVERSO, Kyrillos, Ewing and Cafiero

An Act establishing a commission to study school transportation and making an appropriation.

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

1. There is established the School Transportation Study Commission which shall be composed of 20 members as follows: the chairpersons of the Senate Education Committee, the Assembly Education Committee, the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee and the Assembly Appropriations Committee, as ex officio members; two members of the Senate appointed by the President upon the recommendation of the minority leader of that House; two members of the General Assembly appointed by the Speaker upon the recommendation of the minority leader of that House. Six members of the public shall be appointed by the President of the Senate including one parent whose child receives either regular, courtesy or nonpublic school busing and one representative from each of the following organizations: the New Jersey Association of School Administrators, the New Jersey Education Association, the New Jersey School Bus Owners Association, the Advisory Committee for Nonpublic Schools of the New Jersey Department of Education and the Joint Council of County Special Services School Districts. Six members of the public shall be appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly including one parent whose child receives either regular, courtesy or nonpublic school busing and one representative from each of the following organizations: the School Transportation Supervisors of New Jersey, the New Jersey School Boards Association, the New Jersey Association of School Business Officials, the New Jersey Principals and Supervisors Association and the New Jersey Council of County Vocational Schools. The public members representing the various organizations shall be appointed by the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the General Assembly upon the recommendation of the appropriate organization. Any vacancy in the membership of the commission shall be filled by appointment in the same manner as the original appointment was made.

2. The commission shall organize as soon as possible after the appointment of its members. The commission shall be co-chaired, with one co-chair being appointed by the President of the Senate from among the commission members who are Senators and one co-chair being appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly from among the commission members who are members of the General Assembly.

3. It shall be the duty of the commission to study New Jersey's school transportation system. The commission shall investigate the advisability of alternative systems for providing school transportation in this State, including a county or regionally-based transportation system. The commission shall also examine the issues of courtesy busing, safety busing, special education busing and nonpublic school busing and the ways in which these aspects of school transportation may be provided in a more equitable and cost-effective manner.

4. The members of the commission shall serve without compensation, but shall be reimbursed for such traveling and other expenses as they may deem necessary for the proper execution of their duties and as may be within the limit of funds appropriated or otherwise made available to them for these purposes. Staff and related support services shall be provided to the commission by the Office of Legislative Services. The commission shall also be entitled to call to its assistance and avail itself of the services of the 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.

5. The commission may meet and hold hearings at the place or places it designates during the sessions or recesses of the Legislature and shall issue a final report of its findings and recommendations, including any recommended legislation, to the Governor and the Legislature no later than six months after its organizational meeting.

6. The commission shall have all the powers granted pursuant to chapter 13 of Title 52 of the Revised Statutes.

7. There is appropriated $10,000 from the General Fund to the commission to effectuate the purposes of this act.

8. This act shall take effect immediately and shall expire 30 days after the submission of the final report.

STATEMENT

This bill establishes the School Transportation Study Commission which shall be composed of 20 members: 8 members of the Legislature and 12 members of the public including parents whose children receive either regular, courtesy or nonpublic busing and representatives from the New Jersey Association of School Administrators, the New Jersey Education Association, the New Jersey School Bus Owners Association, the Advisory Committee for Nonpublic Schools of the New Jersey Department of Education, the New Jersey School Boards Association, the School Transportation Supervisors of New Jersey, the New Jersey Association of School Business Officials, the New Jersey Principals and Supervisors Association, the Joint Council of County Special Services School Districts and the New Jersey Council of County Vocational Schools. The public members representing the various organizations will be appointed by the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the General Assembly upon the recommendation of the appropriate organization.

The commission is directed to study the school transportation system of this State and investigate the advisability of alternative systems for providing school transportation, including a county or regionally-based transportation system. The commission will also examine courtesy busing, safety busing, special education busing and nonpublic school busing to determine the ways in which these aspects of school transportation may be provided in a more equitable and cost-effective manner.

Pursuant to this bill the commission will have all the powers granted pursuant to chapter 13 of Title 52 of the Revised Statutes, including subpoena power. The commission will issue a final report of its findings and recommendations to the Governor and the Legislature no later than six months after its organizational meeting and the commission will expire 30 days after the submission of that report. The bill appropriates $10,000 to the commission from the General Fund to effectuate the purposes of the bill.

Establishes School Transportation Study Commission and appropriates $10,000.