New Jersey-2022-S482-Introduced

An Act concerning payment of stipends to certain public entities and supplementing Title 52 of the Revised Statutes.

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

1. a. Notwithstanding the provisions of any law, rule or regulation to the contrary, a member of a board, commission, committee, task force, or similar multi-member entity created by law before or after the effective date of this act shall be paid a stipend for each month in which a meeting held by the board, commission, committee, task force, or similar entity is attended by the member. This stipend shall not be paid to a member of a board, commission, committee, task force, or similar entity for whom the State already provides by law or otherwise a salary, stipend, or remuneration for services rendered as a member that is in excess of the amount set by the head of each State department or other State entity, or the individual designated to lead a multi-member entity that is allocated to but independent of a department or other State entity or that is a bi-state agency, in accordance with subsection b. of this section. A stipend shall be paid to a member who receives a stipend or remuneration that is less than the amount set in subsection b. of this section in such additional amount as will provide together with the stipend paid the amount of the stipend set.

b. The stipend shall be in an amount that is at least $300 but not more than to $1,500 as set by the head of each department or other State entity, or the individual designated to lead a multi-member entity that is allocated to but independent of a department or other State entity or that is a bi-state agency. The head of each department or other State entity, as appropriate within which a board, commission, committee, task force, or similar entity is allocated shall set, for each calendar year, the specific amount of the stipend that will be paid to the members of a board, commission, committee, task force, or similar entity. If a multi-member entity is allocated to but independent of a department or other State entity or is a bi-state agency, the individual designated to lead the multi-member entity shall set, for each calendar year, the specific amount of the stipend that will be paid to members. The same amount of stipend shall be paid to all members of the same board, commission, committee, task force, or similar multi-member entity. The head of the department or other State entity, or the individual designated to lead a multi-member entity that is allocated to but independent of a department or other State entity or that is a bi-state agency, shall take into consideration when setting the amount of the stipend to be paid to the members of a board, commission, committee, task force, or similar entity, the number of meetings held per month and the scope of responsibilities of the members.

c. The total amount to be paid annually for stipends shall be paid primarily from an appropriation of the fees collected by the board, commission, committee, task force, or similar entity. If there are no fees collected, or the fees are insufficient, or the fees are otherwise dedicated by law for another purpose, there shall be an appropriation from the State General Fund for the payment of the stipends.

d. The head of each department or other State entity, or the individual designated to lead a multi-member entity that is allocated to but independent of a department or other State entity or that is a bi-state agency, shall prepare an annual report to be transmitted to the Governor and the Legislature, pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), containing the amount of the stipend to be disbursed to the members of each specific board, commission, committee, task force, or similar entity.

e. This section shall also include all State colleges and universities.

2. This act shall take effect immediately but remain inoperative for 60 days following enactment.

STATEMENT

This bill would provide a stipend to persons for their work as a member of a board, commission, committee, task force, or other similar entity that is created, before or after the effective date of the bill, and (1) allocated within a principal Executive Branch department of the New Jersey State government, (2) allocated in but not of such principal department, (3) is any other State entity, including each State college and university, or (4) is allocated in but not of such other State entity. A stipend may also be made available to the members of a multi-member entity that is a bi-state agency.

The stipend is to be paid each month in which a meeting is held by the specific entity and is attended by a member. A stipend is not to be paid where the law already provides for a salary, stipend, or remuneration that is in excess of the amount of the stipend set in accordance with the bill. A stipend would still be paid to a member who receives a stipend or remuneration pursuant to another law that is less than the amount set in accordance with the bill, in such an amount as will provide total compensation that is equal to the amount of the stipend set under the bill. The same amount of stipend would be paid to all members of the same entity.

Each stipend would be in an amount that is at least $300 but not more than to $1,500. The head of each department or other State entity, or individual designated to lead an entity that is in but not of such department or other entity, or designated to lead a bi-state entity, would set, for each calendar year, the specific amount of the stipend that will be paid to the members of the board, commission, committee, task force, or other entity. Consideration would be given to the number of meetings held each month and the scope of responsibilities of the members when setting the amount of the stipend. The head of each department or other State entity, or the designated individual, who sets the stipend amount would transmit an annual report to the Governor and Legislature containing the amount to be disbursed to members of each particular board, commission, committee, task force, or other entity.

The total annual amount paid for stipends would primarily come from an appropriation of the fees collected by the board, commission, committee, task force, or other entity. If there are no fees collected, or the fees are insufficient, or are otherwise dedicated by law for another purpose, there would be an appropriation from the State's General Fund to pay the stipends.