Bill Text: NJ A4167 | 2016-2017 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Creates State Spending Commission to study expenditures of State government.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2016-09-19 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Budget Committee [A4167 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2016-A4167-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman ERIC HOUGHTALING
District 11 (Monmouth)
Assemblywoman JOANN DOWNEY
District 11 (Monmouth)
SYNOPSIS
Creates State Spending Commission to study expenditures of State government.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act creating a State Spending Commission to investigate and study expenditures of the State government and supplementing Title 52 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "State Spending Commission Act".
2. There is hereby established the State Spending Commission. The purpose of the commission is to investigate and study expenditures of the State government, including its departments, agencies, divisions, and offices, with a view to recommending the elimination or reduction of all such expenditures deemed by the commission to be nonessential.
3. a. The commission will be comprised of 10 members who shall be appointed as follows:
(1) the State Treasurer, or a designee, who shall serve ex-officio with no voting rights;
(2) the State Comptroller, or a designee, who shall serve ex-officio;
(3) the commissioners or directors, appointed by the Governor, of the two State government departments, agencies, divisions, or offices with the highest expenditures for the two most recent fiscal years, or their designees, who shall serve ex-officio;
(4) the commissioners or directors, appointed by the Governor, of the two State government departments with the lowest expenditures for the two most recent fiscal years, or their designees, who shall serve ex-officio;
(5) one public member appointed by the President of the Senate, who shall serve for a term of three years and until a successor is appointed;
(6) one public member appointed by the Minority Leader of the Senate, who shall serve for a term of three years and until a successor is appointed;
(7) one public member appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly, who shall serve for a term of two years and until a successor is appointed; and
(8) one public member appointed by the Minority Leader of the General Assembly, who shall serve for a term of two years and until a successor is appointed.
b. The members of the commission shall be appointed no later than 90 days following the effective date of this act, P.L. , c. (C. )(pending before the Legislature as this bill). Vacancies in the membership of the commission shall be filled in the same manner provided for the original appointment.
c. The public members shall serve without compensation, but may be reimbursed for necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties and within the limits of funds available to the commission.
d. The State Treasurer shall serve as the chairperson of the commission. The commission shall meet at the call of the chairperson or at the request of five of the commission's voting members, and five voting members shall constitute a quorum and a majority at any meeting thereof. The commission shall adopt recommendations by a majority vote of its members.
e. The commission may appoint a secretary who need not be a member of the commission. The Department of the Treasury shall provide staff support to the commission.
4. The duties of the commission shall be to investigate and study all expenditures of the State government, including its departments, agencies, divisions, and offices, with a view to recommending the elimination or reduction of all such expenditures deemed by the commission to be nonessential, so that the public tax burden may be simplified and equalized and the State will be in a better financial condition to make imperative expenditures.
5. The commission shall annually submit its recommendations to the Governor, and the Legislature pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), on the anniversary of the date of enactment of this act, P.L. , c. (C. )(pending before the Legislature as this bill).
6. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill creates a State Spending Commission. The purpose of the commission is to investigate and study expenditures of the State government with a view to recommending the elimination or reduction of all such expenditures deemed by the commission to be nonessential.
The commission will be comprised of 10 members: the State Treasurer, will serve ex-officio with no voting rights; the State Comptroller; two commissioners or directors appointed by the Governor of the two State government departments, agencies, divisions, or offices with the highest expenditures for the two most recent fiscal years; two commissioners or directors appointed by the Governor of the two State government departments with the lowest expenditures for the two most recent fiscal years; one public member appointed by the President of the Senate; one public member appointed by the Minority Leader of the Senate; one public member appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly; and one public member appointed by the Minority Leader of the General Assembly.
The State Treasurer will serve as the chairperson of the commission. The commission will annually submit its recommendations to the Governor and the Legislature.
