SENATE, No. 2069

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

INTRODUCED MAY 15, 1997

By Senator EWING

An Act concerning the Joint Committee on the Public Schools and amending P.L.1975, c.16.

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

    1. Section 1 of P.L.1975, c.16 (C.52:9R-1) is amended to read as follows:

    1. There is hereby created a committee to be known as the "Joint Committee on the Public Schools." The committee shall consist of [seven] nine members as follows: three members of the Senate, including [two members] at least one member of the Senate Education Committee, to be appointed by the President of the Senate [and seven] , who shall serve during the two-year legislative session in which they are appointed; three members of the Assembly, including [two members] at least one member of the Assembly Education Committee, to be appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly , who shall serve during the two-year legislative session in which they are appointed; and three members of the public to be appointed by the Governor, who shall serve two-year terms, no more than two of whom shall be of the same political party. For the initial terms of the public members, two members shall be appointed for terms of two years and one member shall be appointed for a term of one year. No more than [four] two of the members from each House shall be of the same political party. All members shall serve without compensation [and vacancies] , but the public members shall be eligible for reimbursement for necessary and reasonable expenses incurred in the performance of their official duties. Vacancies in the membership of the committee shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointments are made.

(cf: P.L.1990,c.34,s.1)

    2. Section 2 of P.L.1975, c.16 (C.52:9R-2) is amended to read as follows:

    2. The committee shall select a chairman and vice chairman from among its members and [a secretary] an executive director who need not be a member of the committee.

(cf: P.L.1975, c. 16, s. 2)

    3. This act shall take effect on January 13, 1998.

STATEMENT

    This bill revises the membership of the Joint Committee on the Public Schools. Under the current statute, the committee consists of seven members of the Senate, including two members of the Senate Education Committee, appointed by the President of the Senate and seven members of the General Assembly, including two members of the Assembly Education Committee, appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly. Under the bill, the committee would consist of nine members as follows: three members of the Senate, including one member of the Senate Education Committee; three members of the General Assembly, including one member of the Assembly Education Committee; and three members of the general public to be appointed by the Governor. The legislative members would serve during the two-year session during which they were appointed, and the public members would serve two-year terms. No more than two members in each group may be from the same political party, and the initial terms of the public members would be staggered. The public members would be eligible for reimbursement for necessary and reasonable expenses incurred in the performance of their duties.

    The bill also provides that the committee may select an executive director rather than a secretary.

Revises the membership of the Joint Committee on the Public Schools.