SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

SENATE, No. 2069

with committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED: JUNE 12, 1997

      The Senate Education Committee reports favorably Senate Bill No. 2069 with committee amendments.

      As amended, 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 eight members as follows: two members of the Senate, including one member of the Senate Education Committee; two members of the General Assembly, including one member of the Assembly Education Committee; and four members of the general public, two each to be appointed by the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the General Assembly. The legislative members would serve during the two-year session during which they were appointed, and the public members would serve two-year terms. The members in each group may not be of 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.

      Committee amendments were adopted which reduce the size of the committee to eight and which provide for the appointment of four public members by the presiding officers of the Legislature.