Bill Text: NJ SR1 | 2018-2019 | Regular Session | Introduced


Bill Title: Organizes the Senate for the Two Hundred and Eighteenth Legislature and amends Rule 2:2 concerning quorum and Rule 12:1 concerning committee membership.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2018-01-09 - Resolution Passed Senate (23-15) [SR1 Detail]

Download: New_Jersey-2018-SR1-Introduced.html

SENATE RESOLUTION No. 1

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

218th LEGISLATURE

 

INTRODUCED JANUARY 9, 2018

 


 

Sponsored by:

Senator  STEPHEN M. SWEENEY

District 3 (Cumberland, Gloucester and Salem)

Senator  LORETTA WEINBERG

District 37 (Bergen)

 

 

 

 

SYNOPSIS

     Organizes the Senate for the Two Hundred and Eighteenth Legislature and amends Rule 2:2 concerning quorum and Rule 12:1 concerning committee membership.

 

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

     As introduced.

  


A Senate Resolution organizing the Senate for the Two Hundred and Eighteenth Legislature and amending Senate Rule 2:2 concerning quorum and Rule 12:1 concerning committee membership.

 

     Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of New Jersey:

 

     1.    That the Secretary of the Senate be directed to inform the General Assembly that the Senate has organized and elected the Honorable Stephen M. Sweeney of Gloucester County as Senate President.  The Secretary is further directed to inform the General Assembly that the Senate has elected the Honorable M. Teresa Ruiz of Essex County, as President Pro Tempore, and Jennifer A. McQuaid, of Camden County as Secretary for the Two Hundred and Eighteenth Legislature, and has proceeded to business.

 

     2.    That the appointment of officers and employees of the Senate by the President, and the payroll of such officers and employees of the Senate, be adopted and the Secretary be authorized to authenticate the same as approval officer.

 

     3.    That all statements of expenses of the Senate or of the Legislature on account of the Senate be referred for approval and forwarded for payment from the State Treasury as heretofore.

 

     4.    That the approval officer of the Senate be authorized to procure the necessary stationery and supplies for the use of members of the Senate.

 

     5.    That unless otherwise ordered, the regular hours of meetings of the Senate and committees thereof will be on days and at times announced to the members, the news media and the public by the President.

 

     6.    That for the Two Hundred and Eighteenth Legislature there be employed for each Senator, legislative aides, to be designated by him or her at an aggregate salary as may be provided by law, payable in the same manner as all other Senate employees for the legislative year.

 

     7.    That the 2018 and 2019 Legislative Manuals be distributed to the Senate as directed by the President.

 

     8.    That the Rules of the Senate for the Two Hundred and Seventeenth Legislature be adopted as the Rules of the Senate for the Two Hundred and Eighteenth Legislature, with the following changes:

 

·         Rule 2:2 is amended to read as follows:

 

     2:2  Quorum.

     a.     Twenty-one or more Senators shall constitute a quorum.

     b.    At meetings of the Senate where bills or resolutions are not being considered on final reading, reenactment, or veto override, a member shall be included in determining a quorum in any of the following manners:

     (1)   By a member's attendance at the meeting of the Senate and response to the quorum call;

     (2)   By a member's personal communication with the Office of the Secretary of the Senate, by communication equipment providing identification of the member.  The member shall express the intent to be included in the quorum for that meeting of the Senate and state that the member is within the State of New Jersey in order to be included in the quorum.  The President shall provide the members with written procedures for inclusion in the quorum by use of communication equipment; or

     (3)   By a member of the Senate's attendance at a meeting of a standing reference committee, as a voting member, during any portion of the time set forth in subsection c.

     c.     A quorum must be determined as in subsection b. during the span of four hours prior to and four hours after the time of the quorum call as scheduled by the President.  The President may expand that time for good cause.  Once included in the quorum, the member is not required to remain at the meeting of the Senate, a meeting of a standing reference committee, or in contact with the Office of the Secretary of the Senate by means of communication equipment in order for a quorum to be determined and the meeting of the Senate to continue until adjournment.  By authorizing the Senate Secretary to include the member in determining a quorum, or by the member's attendance at a meeting of a standing reference committee as in subsection b.(3), the member authorizes staff to include the member in the quorum on the voting board.

 

·        Rule 12:1 is amended to read as follows:

 

     12:1.    Committees and Membership.

     The following Standing Reference, Administrative and Joint Committees shall be appointed by the President.  The number of Senators on each committee is indicated by the number following the name of the committee.  The Majority and Minority Leaders are ex-officio members, without vote, on all standing reference committees.

     SENATE STANDING REFERENCE COMMITTEES.

 

     1.  Budget and Appropriations Committee - 13

     2.   Commerce Committee - [6] 5

     3.   Community and Urban Affairs Committee - 5

     4.  Economic Growth Committee - 5

     5.   Education Committee - [5] 6

     6.   Environment and Energy Committee - 5

     7.   Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee - 10

     8.   Higher Education Committee - 5

     9.  Judiciary Committee - [13] 11

     10. Labor Committee - 5

     11. Law and Public Safety Committee - [5] 6

     12. Military and Veterans' Affairs Committee - 5

     13. State Government, Wagering, Tourism and Historic Preservation Committee - 5

     14. Transportation Committee - [5] 6

 

     SENATE STANDING ADMINISTRATIVE COMMITTEES.

 

     1.   Intergovernmental Relations Committee - 5

     2.  Legislative Oversight Committee - 6

     3.  Rules and Order Committee - 5

 

     SENATE JOINT COMMITTEES.

 

     1.   Budget Oversight Committee - 3

     2.   Housing Affordability Committee - 5

     3.   Public Schools Committee - 7

     4.   State Library Committee - 4

 

     9.    That the Bill Drafting Manual, prepared and revised from time to time by the Office of Legislative Services, be adopted as the official manual of practice and procedure of the Senate governing the form of bills to be introduced in the Senate and governing the conduct of the preliminary examination of bills proposed for introduction in the Senate required by the Rules of the Senate.

 

     That in order to carry out the aforementioned practice and procedure, the Legislative Counsel, and such assistants and deputies as he shall assign, be designated as counsel to conduct said preliminary examination of bills proposed for introduction and amendments adopted in the Senate under the general supervision of the Legislative Counsel.

 

     10.  That his Excellency the Governor be informed that the Senate has organized for the Two Hundred and Eighteenth Legislature by the election of the Honorable Stephen M. Sweeney of Gloucester County, as President, the Honorable M. Teresa Ruiz of Essex County, as President Pro Tempore, and Jennifer A. McQuaid, of Camden County as Secretary, and is now ready to proceed to business and to receive any communications he may forward.

 

     11.  That due to the fact that Nilsa Cruz-Perez, a member from District 5, and Bob Smith, a member from District 17, have been unable to appear in person at the organization of the Senate for the Two Hundred and Eighteenth Legislature to be sworn as members, and there being no contest or question as to their election, the President, or a member of the Senate named by him, is authorized to administer the oath of office and allegiance in the usual form to Nilsa Cruz-Perez and Bob Smith at mutually agreeable locations within the State of New Jersey, and that the oaths when administered as herein authorized shall be accepted and received by this House as the oaths of office and allegiance of Nilsa Cruz-Perez and Bob Smith.

 

     12.  That this resolution shall take effect immediately.

 

 

STATEMENT

 

     This resolution concerns the organization of the Senate for the Two Hundred and Eighteenth Legislature, and amends Senate Rules 2:2 and 12:1.

     The amendment to Rule 2:2 changes the quorum rules so that it is substantially similar to the amendment made by the General Assembly to its quorum rule. As amended, Rule 2:2 provides that at meetings of the Senate on days when routine business is to be conducted, and no votes are to be taken by the Senate on bills or resolutions on final reading, reenactment, or veto override, a member may: (1) attend a meeting of the Senate as traditionally is done; (2) communicate with the Office of the Senate Secretary using communication equipment that provides identification of the member; or (3) attend a meeting of a standing reference committee during the time to determine a quorum.

     Rule 12:1 is amended to revise the numbers of members on the Commerce, Education, Judiciary, Law and Public Safety, and Transportation committees.

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