Bill Text: NJ AJR24 | 2024-2025 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Establishes unified smart card fare collection study commission.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 2-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-01-09 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Transportation and Independent Authorities Committee [AJR24 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2024-AJR24-Introduced.html
No. 24
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
221st LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2024 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman ROBERT D. CLIFTON
District 12 (Burlington, Middlesex, Monmouth and Ocean)
Assemblywoman NANCY F. MUNOZ
District 21 (Morris, Somerset and Union)
SYNOPSIS
Establishes unified smart card fare collection study commission.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
A Joint Resolution establishing a unified smart card fare collection study commission.
Be It Resolved by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. There is established a study commission to investigate the costs and benefits of and to create a strategy for implementing a unified smart card fare collection system across transit systems that serve residents of New Jersey.
b. The study commission shall consist of the following five members:
(1) a person with expertise and experience in transit smart card technology who shall be appointed by the Governor;
(2) a person with expertise and experience in transit fare collection policy who shall be appointed by the Senate President;
(3) a person with expertise and experience in New Jersey transit system infrastructure and regional transit cooperation who shall be appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly; and
(4) two people with expertise and experience in public rail passenger transportation, one of whom shall be appointed by the Minority Leader of the Senate and one of whom shall be appointed by the Minority Leader of the General Assembly.
c. Appointments to the study commission shall be made within 30 days of the effective date of this joint resolution. Vacancies in the membership of the study commission shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointments were made. Members of the study commission shall serve without compensation but shall be reimbursed for necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties as members of the study commission and within the limits of funds appropriated or otherwise made available to the study commission for its purposes.
2. The study commission shall organize as soon as practicable following the appointment of a majority of its members, but no later than 60 days after the effective date of this joint resolution. The study commission shall select a chairperson from among its members and may appoint a secretary who need not be a member of the study commission. The study commission shall meet at the call of the chairperson and hold meetings at the times and in the places the study commission deems appropriate and necessary to fulfill its charge.
3. The Department of Transportation shall provide stenographic, clerical, and other administrative assistance and professional staff as the study commission requires to carry out its work. 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.
4. a. The purpose of the study commission shall be to study and evaluate potential opportunities for every transit agency serving residents of New Jersey to adopt a smart card fare collection system that is compatible across all agencies.
b. The study commission shall
prepare and submit a report to the Governor and, pursuant to section 2 of
P.L.1991, c.164
(C.52:14-19.1), to the Legislature no later than one year following its
organizational meeting. The report shall include findings and recommendations
concerning: (1) all potential opportunities for every transit agency serving
New Jersey to adopt a smart card fare collection system that is compatible
across all agencies; (2) strategies to facilitate cross-agency collaboration;
and (3) fare policy best practices that maximize fare box recovery and increase
value to transit customers.
5. This joint resolution shall take effect immediately and shall expire upon submission of the report required to be prepared and submitted pursuant to section 4 of this joint resolution.
STATEMENT
This joint resolution establishes a five member study commission to study and make findings and recommendations concerning all potential opportunities for transit agencies that serve New Jersey residents to implement a unified smart card fare collection system.
The study commission is to consist of: a person with expertise and experience in transit smart card technology who is to be appointed by the Governor; a person with expertise and experience in transit fare collection policy who is to be appointed by the Senate President; a person with expertise and experience in New Jersey transit system infrastructure and regional transit cooperation who is to be appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly; and two people with expertise and experience in public rail passenger transportation, one who is to be appointed by the Minority Leader of the Senate and one who is to be appointed by the Minority Leader of the General Assembly.
The study commission is to prepare and submit a report containing its findings and recommendations to the Governor and the Legislature and is to expire upon submission of the report.
