Bill Text: NJ SCR113 | 2010-2011 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Establishes a "Legislative Task Force on Public Broadcasting" to study Governor's proposal to transfer assets of NJ Public Broadcasting Authority to an independent, not-for-profit organization.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 11)
Status: (Passed) 2010-06-29 - Filed with Secretary of State [SCR113 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2010-SCR113-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Senator JEFF VAN DREW
District 1 (Cape May, Atlantic and Cumberland)
Senator NIA H. GILL
District 34 (Essex and Passaic)
Senator M. TERESA RUIZ
District 29 (Essex and Union)
Assemblyman JOHN S. WISNIEWSKI
District 19 (Middlesex)
Assemblyman PAUL D. MORIARTY
District 4 (Camden and Gloucester)
Assemblyman LOUIS D. GREENWALD
District 6 (Camden)
Co-Sponsored by:
Senator Whelan, Assemblyman Chivukula, Assemblywoman Lampitt, Assemblymen Giblin and Fuentes
SYNOPSIS
Establishes a "Legislative Task Force on Public Broadcasting" to study Governor's proposal to transfer assets of NJ Public Broadcasting Authority to an independent, not-for-profit organization.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
A Concurrent Resolution establishing a "Legislative Task Force on Public Broadcasting" to study the Governor's proposal to transfer the assets of the New Jersey Public Broadcasting Authority to an independent, not-for-profit organization.
Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of New Jersey (the General Assembly concurring):
1. There is hereby established the "Legislative Task Force on Public Broadcasting" ("task force") to consist of 10 members as follows:
a. Three members appointed by the Senate President who shall be members of the Senate;
b. Two members appointed by the Minority Leader of the Senate who shall be members of the Senate;
c. Three members appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly who shall be members of the General Assembly; and
d. Two members appointed by the Minority Leader of the General Assembly who shall be members of the General Assembly.
Vacancies in the membership of the task force shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointments were made.
2. a. The task force shall organize as soon as may be practicable after the appointment of a majority of its members and shall select a chairperson and vice-chairperson from among its members, and the chairperson shall appoint a secretary who need not be a member of the task force.
b. The members shall serve without compensation but shall be reimbursed for necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties and within the limits of funds available to the task force.
c. The task force may meet and hold hearings at the places it designates during the sessions or recesses of the Legislature.
d. The task force shall be entitled to call to its assistance and avail itself of the services of the employees of any State department, board, bureau, commission, authority, agency, or other entity, as it may require and as may be available for its purposes, and to employ stenographic and clerical assistance and incur traveling and other miscellaneous expenses as may be necessary to perform its duties, within the limits of funds made available to it for its purposes.
3. The purpose of the task force shall be to study and evaluate, and develop recommendations relating to, a proposal to transfer the assets, including operating licenses, and operations of the New Jersey Public Broadcasting Authority ("authority"), the operator of New Jersey Network ("network"), to an independent, not-for-profit organization ("organization"). The task force shall consider issues and concerns relating to such proposal, including, but not limited to, the following:
a. The valuation of the assets of the authority, including hardware, licenses, real estate, and other property, and whether assets should be transferred to an organization that pays no monetary consideration therefor;
b. The most appropriate schedule for the transfer of the authority's operating licenses and allocation of assets, taking into account the approval process of the Federal Communications Commission and any other pertinent federal agency;
c. Whether the operations of the authority and the network function in the most efficient and cost effective manner;
d. The manner in which other states have transferred such assets and operations to an organization;
e. The future financing needs of the organization and the impact of any financing requirements on the annual State budget;
f. The continuation of New Jersey-focused programming if such proposal were to be approved;
g. The impact of the implementation of the proposal on the current employees of the authority;
h. Whether advances in broadcasting technology and their implications for the network and public broadcasting have been considered;
i. The development of new partnerships with the private sector and with other public sector interests; and
j. Whether alternative organizational or governance structures have been considered, including a single public or for-profit organization that is not a current licensee of a radio or television broadcasting station.
4. The task force shall issue a report of its study and findings by October 15, 2010, including recommendations for any proposed transition of the authority's operations and assets to an independent, not-for-profit organization prior to the beginning of State fiscal year 2012. The report shall be submitted to the Governor, the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the General Assembly, the Minority Leader of the Senate, and the Minority Leader of the General Assembly.
5. This concurrent resolution shall take effect immediately and shall expire 30 days after the task force submits its report, as prescribed in section 4 of this concurrent resolution.
STATEMENT
This concurrent resolution establishes the "Legislative Task Force on Public Broadcasting" ("task force") which is to consist of the following ten members: 1) three members appointed by the Senate President who shall be members of the Senate; 2) two members appointed by the Minority Leader of the Senate who shall be members of the Senate; 3) three members appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly who shall be members of the General Assembly; and 4) two members appointed by the Minority Leader of the General Assembly who shall be members of the General Assembly.
The purpose of the task force shall be to study and evaluate, and develop recommendations relating to, the Governor's proposal to transfer the assets, including operating licenses, and operations of the New Jersey Public Broadcasting Authority ("authority"), the operator of New Jersey Network ("network"), to an independent, not-for-profit organization ("organization"). The task force shall consider issues and concerns relating to such proposal, including, but not limited to, the following: 1) the valuation of the assets of the authority, including hardware, licenses, real estate, and other property, and whether assets should be transferred to an organization without payment of monetary consideration therefor; 2) the most appropriate schedule for the transfer of the authority's operating licenses and allocation of assets, taking into account the approval process of the Federal Communications Commission and any other pertinent federal agency; 3) whether the operations of the authority and the network function in the most efficient and cost effective manner; 4) the manner in which other states have transferred such assets and operations to an organization; 5) the future financing needs of the organization and the impact of any financing requirements on the annual State budget; 6) the continuation of New Jersey-focused programming if such proposal were to be approved; 7) the impact of the implementation of the proposal on the current employees of the authority; 8) whether advances in broadcasting technology and their implications for the network and public broadcasting have been considered; 9) the development of new partnerships with the private sector and with other public sector interests; and 10) whether alternative organizational or governance structures have been considered, including a single public or for-profit organization that is not a current licensee of a radio or television broadcasting station.
The task force is to issue a report of its study and findings to the Governor, the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the General Assembly, the Minority Leader of the Senate, and the Minority Leader of the General Assembly by October 15, 2010, including recommendations for any proposed transfer of the authority's operations and assets to an independent, not-for-profit organization prior to the beginning of State fiscal year 2012.
