New Jersey-2014-A3046-Introduced

An Act concerning the board of governors of Rutgers, The State University and amending N.J.S.18A:65-14 and N.J.S.18A:65-22.

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

1. N.J.S.18A:65-14 is amended to read as follows:

18A:65-14. The membership of the board of governors shall be classified as follows and consist of:

a. the president of the corporation, serving as an ex officio non-voting member; and

b. [15] 19 voting members,

i. [seven] nine of whom shall be appointed by the Governor of the State, with the advice and consent of the Senate, with one of these members being a resident of Camden County, and one of whom shall be appointed by the Governor upon the recommendation of the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the General Assembly and who shall be a resident of Essex County, [and]

ii. seven of whom shall be appointed by the board of trustees, from among their members, one of whom shall be a resident of Essex County and one of whom shall be a resident of Middlesex County, elected and serving under the provisions of subsection I.c. or I.d. of 18A:65-15 , and

iii. one of whom shall be appointed by the President of the Senate and one of whom shall be appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly.

The first additional appointments made by the Governor pursuant to P.L.2012, c.45 (C.18A:64M-1 et al.) and P.L. , c. (pending before the Legislature as this bill), shall not require the advice and consent of the Senate, but thereafter such advice and consent shall be required.

All members shall serve for terms of six years, except that the terms of those initially appointed by the Governor which began on September 1, 1956, shall expire respectively (as designated by him) one, two, three, four, five and six years after June 30, 1956, and terms of those initially appointed by the board of trustees which began on September 1, 1956, shall expire respectively (as designated by the board) two, three, four, five and six years after June 30, 1956; all of whose respective successors shall be appointed to serve six-year terms. Governors may succeed themselves for not more than one additional term after having served one full six-year term (including an initial term beginning on September 1, 1956, and expiring on June 30, 1962).

(cf: P.L.2012, c.45, s.87)

2. N.J.S.18A:65-22 is amended to read as follows:

18A:65-22. a. [Eight] Ten members of the board of governors shall constitute a quorum.

b. Such number, not less than 12, of the board of trustees as shall be determined by the board, and until so determined, 12 members, shall constitute a quorum.

c. A quorum of a joint meeting of the boards shall be present if [eight] 10 governors and not less than a majority of the trustees then in office (other than those who are governors), are present.

(cf: P.L.2013, c.218)

3. This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

This bill increases the number of voting members of the board of governors of Rutgers, The State University from 15 to 19 members. The bill increases the number of appointments made by the Governor from eight to ten members, and provides that the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the General Assembly will each appoint one member. The bill provides that the initial appointment by the Governor of the two additional members will not require the advice and consent of the Senate, but thereafter advice and consent will be required.

The bill also increases the number of governors needed to constitute a quorum from eight to ten members, and similarly increases the number of governors necessary for a quorum of a joint meeting of the institution's board of governors and board of trustees.