Bill Text: NJ SCR97 | 2010-2011 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Establishes joint legislative commission to study feasibility of establishing full-time Legislature.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Republican 2)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2010-05-10 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate State Government, Wagering, Tourism & Historic Preservation Committee [SCR97 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2010-SCR97-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Senator JOSEPH M. KYRILLOS, JR.
District 13 (Middlesex and Monmouth)
Senator DIANE B. ALLEN
District 7 (Burlington and Camden)
SYNOPSIS
Establishes joint legislative commission to study feasibility of establishing full-time Legislature.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
A Concurrent Resolution establishing a joint legislative commission to study the feasibility of establishing a full-time Legislature in New Jersey.
Whereas, The members of the State Legislature are not constitutionally proscribed from engaging in other employment; and
Whereas, The State Constitution does, however, impose restrictions on a legislator's ability to hold other offices; and
Whereas, Other states in the union vary widely in their constitutional and statutory schemes regarding the employment and office-holding status of members of their Legislatures, but no state has an absolute prohibition on all other gainful employment or other office-holding on the part of its members; and
Whereas, For there to be such an absolute prohibition, it would require a careful study of other states' models and an intense examination of New Jersey's constitutional and statutory provisions attendant to the qualifications and restrictions on membership in its Legislature; and
Whereas, It is fitting and proper, and in the public interest, to establish a joint legislative commission to study the feasibility of establishing a full-time Legislature in New Jersey; now, therefore,
Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of New Jersey (the General Assembly concurring):
1. There is established a joint legislative commission to study the feasibility of establishing a full-time Legislature in New Jersey. It shall be the duty of the commission to review and analyze the need for and the manner of establishing a full-time Legislature in New Jersey, and to make recommendations to the Legislature pertaining thereto. The review and analysis shall include, but not be limited to, the effectiveness and efficiency of, and the increased costs that would be needed for a full-time Legislature.
2. The commission shall be composed of nine members as follows: two members of the Senate, appointed by the President of the Senate, not more than one of whom shall be of the same political party; two members of the General Assembly, one member of the majority party to be appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly and one member of the minority party to be appointed by the Minority Leader of the General Assembly; the Executive Director of the Office of Legislative Services, or his designee, who shall be a non-voting member; and four public members, two to be appointed by the President of the Senate, not more than one of whom shall be of the same political party, one to be appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly, and one to be appointed by the Minority Leader of the General Assembly. The four public members shall have, by training or experience, knowledge of the operations of State government, its structure, procedures and functions.
3. Vacancies in the membership of the commission shall be filled in the same manner provided for the original appointments. The members shall serve without compensation.
4. Members of the commission shall be appointed within 30 days after the effective date of this resolution and shall hold their initial organizational meeting as soon as practicable, but no later than 30 days following the appointment of its members, and shall select a chairperson and vice-chairperson, who shall be of different political parties. The chairperson shall appoint a secretary who need not be a member of the commission.
5. The commission shall meet at the call of the chairperson. The commission shall hold at least three public hearings in different parts of the State and elicit testimony from the public at such times and places as the chair shall designate. A meeting of the commission shall be called upon the request of five of the commission's voting members and five voting members of the commission shall constitute a quorum at any meeting thereof.
6. Within nine months from the date of its organization, the commission shall report its findings, along with any recommendations and legislative proposals it may make, to the Senate and General Assembly.
7. This concurrent resolution shall take effect immediately and shall expire upon the submission of the report provided in section 6.
STATEMENT
This concurrent resolution establishes a joint legislative commission to study the feasibility of establishing a full-time Legislature in New Jersey.
The commission will review and analyze the need for and manner of establishing a full-time Legislature including, but not limited to, its effectiveness and efficiency of, and the increased costs that would be needed for a full-time Legislature.
Within nine months from the date of its organization, the commission will report its findings, along with any recommendations and legislative proposals it may have, to the Senate and General Assembly.
The commission shall be composed of nine members as follows: two members of the Senate, appointed by the President of the Senate, not more than one of whom shall be of the same political party; two members of the General Assembly, one member of the majority party to be appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly and one member of the minority party to be appointed by the Minority Leader of the General Assembly; the Executive Director of the Office of Legislative Services, or his designee, who shall be a non-voting member; and four public members, two to be appointed by the President of the Senate, not more than one of whom shall be of the same political party, one to be appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly, and one to be appointed by the Minority Leader of the General Assembly. The four public members shall have, by training or experience, knowledge of the operations of State government, its structure, procedures and functions.
Vacancies in the membership of the commission will be filled in the same manner provided for the original appointments. The members shall serve without compensation.
