Bill Text: NJ A2110 | 2014-2015 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Creates nine-member New Jersey Legislative Elections Public Financing Study Commission.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2014-01-16 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Judiciary Committee [A2110 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2014-A2110-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman REED GUSCIORA
District 15 (Hunterdon and Mercer)
SYNOPSIS
Creates nine-member New Jersey Legislative Elections Public Financing Study Commission.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act creating a New Jersey Legislative Elections Public Financing Study Commission.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. There is created a commission, to be known as the New Jersey Legislative Elections Public Financing Study Commission, to consist of nine members. The Governor shall appoint to the commission five persons who are members of the public and who: a. have a background in public legal affairs; or b. have political experience, either as an elected official or due to the study of political affairs in an academic setting; or c. are acquainted with the public financing of elections. No more than three such persons shall be members of the same political party. The Senate President shall appoint one member of the Senate, who shall be a member of the same political party as the Senate President. The Minority Leader of the Senate shall appoint one member of the Senate, who shall be a member of the same political party as the Minority Leader of the Senate. The Speaker of the General Assembly shall appoint one member of the General Assembly, who shall be a member of the same political party as the Speaker. The Minority Leader of the General Assembly shall appoint one member of the General Assembly, who shall be a member of the same political party as the Minority Leader of the General Assembly. A vacancy in the membership of the study commission shall be filled in the same manner in which the original appointment was made.
2. The members of the study commission shall be appointed no later than the 30th day following the date of enactment of P.L. , c. (pending before the Legislature as this bill). The members shall hold their organizational meeting no later than the 30th day following all the appointments. The members shall elect one of the members to serve as chair and the chair may appoint a secretary, who need not be a member of the study commission. The members shall serve without compensation, but shall be eligible for reimbursement for necessary and reasonable expenses incurred in the performance of their official duties within the limits of funds appropriated or otherwise made available to the study commission.
3. The study commission shall meet at the call of the chair. It shall elicit testimony from the public at such times and places as the chair shall designate and shall hold at least three public hearings in different parts of the State. A meeting of the study commission shall be called at the request of five of the study commission's members and five of its members shall constitute a quorum at any meeting thereof.
4. It shall be the duty of the study commission to:
a. examine the different types of public financing programs in use currently to fund the campaigns of officials seeking nomination for election and seeking election to public office, including public financing programs offered in other states and by the federal government, and assessing the strengths and weakness of each such program;
b. examine the means by which the State could fund a public campaign finance program to provide public money for the campaigns of individuals seeking nomination for election and seeking election to the office of member of the Legislature;
c. offer suggestions on how a public campaign finance program for candidates seeking nomination for election and seeking election to the office of member of the Legislature in this State should be structured and funded; and
d. consider such other matters relating to the issue of the public financing of campaigns for public office in this State as the members of the study commission may deem appropriate.
5. The study commission shall 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 for its purposes and to employ stenographic and clerical assistance, within the limit of funds appropriated or otherwise made available for such a purpose.
6. The study commission shall issue a report to the Legislature on its findings and recommendations with respect to the provisions of section 4 of P.L. , c. (pending before the Legislature as this bill) no later than the 180th day following the day of the study commission's organizational meeting.
7. This act shall take effect immediately upon the approval by the voters of Assembly Concurrent Resolution No. 101 of 2008.
STATEMENT
This bill creates the New Jersey Legislative Elections Public Financing Study Commission, which is to consist of nine members. Five of the members are to be appointed by the Governor and must: a. have a background in public legal affairs; or b. have political experience, either as an elected official or due to the study of political affairs in an academic setting; or c. be acquainted with the public financing of elections. The other members of the study commission are to be members of the Legislature, one each appointed by the President of the Senate, the Minority Leader of the Senate, the Speaker of the General Assembly and the Minority Leader of the General Assembly.
The duty of the study commission will be to:
a. examine the different types of public financing programs in use currently to fund the campaigns of officials seeking nomination for election and seeking election to public office, including public financing programs offered in other states and by the federal government, and assessing the strengths and weakness of each such program;
b. examine the means by which the State could fund a public campaign finance program to provide public money for the campaigns of individuals seeking nomination for election and seeking election to the office of member of the Legislature;
c. offer suggestions on how a public campaign finance program for candidates seeking nomination for election and seeking election to the office of member of the Legislature in this State should be structured and funded; and
d. consider such other matters relating to the issue of the public financing of campaigns for public office in this State as the members of the study commission may deem appropriate.
The study commission is to issue a report to the Legislature on its findings and recommendations no later than the 180th day following the day of the study commission's organizational meeting.
The bill takes effect immediately upon the approval by the people of Assembly Concurrent Resolution No. 101, which amends the New Jersey Constitution to require that members of the Legislature serve full time and engage in no other occupation, profession or additional gainful employment.
