Bill Text: NJ A1071 | 2024-2025 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Creates New Jersey-Africa Commission.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Introduced) 2024-01-09 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly State and Local Government Committee [A1071 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2024-A1071-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
221st LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2024 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman WILLIAM B. SAMPSON, IV
District 31 (Hudson)
Assemblyman REGINALD W. ATKINS
District 20 (Union)
SYNOPSIS
Creates New Jersey-Africa Commission.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Act creating the New Jersey-Africa Commission and supplementing chapter 18A of Title 52 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. The Legislature finds and declares that:
a. The State of New Jersey is fortunate to have a population of multinational origin, which includes approximately one million people who trace their ancestry to the continent of Africa, and more recent African immigrants;
b. The nation states of Africa constitute emerging markets with which businesses and organizations in New Jersey may engage in mutually beneficial projects;
c. The democratic governments on the continent of Africa could benefit from the knowledge and practices of democratic institutions in the State of New Jersey; and
d. The establishment of a New Jersey-Africa Commission would facilitate cultural, trade, governmental, and educational exchanges between the citizens, businesses, and organizations in the State of New Jersey and their counterparts in African nations.
2. a. The New Jersey-Africa Commission is created and established in the Department of State. The commission shall advise the Governor on ways to improve economic and cultural links between the State and African nations, with a focus on the areas of commerce and trade, agriculture, art, education, and government.
b. The commission shall consist of 21 members, including the Director of the Division of Business Assistance, Marketing, and International Trade, the Secretary of State, the Commissioner of the Department of Health, the Secretary of the Department of Agriculture, and the Commissioner of the Department of Education, or their designees, serving ex officio, and 16 public members.
The public members shall be residents of New Jersey and identify as part of the African Diaspora. They shall be appointed by the Governor as follows: four public members shall be appointed upon the recommendation of the President of the Senate; four public members shall be appointed upon the recommendation of the Minority Leader of the Senate; four public members shall be appointed upon the recommendation of the Speaker of the General Assembly; and four public members shall be appointed upon the recommendation of the Minority Leader of the General Assembly.
c. Each public member of the commission shall serve for a term of three years, expiring on January 1 in the appropriate year; except that of the members first appointed, four shall be appointed for a term of one year, six shall be appointed for a term of two years, and six shall be appointed for a term of three years, as determined by the Governor. Public members shall be eligible for reappointment. The public members shall serve until their successors are appointed and qualified, and the term of the successor of any incumbent shall be calculated from the expiration of the term of that incumbent. A vacancy occurring other than by expiration of term shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment but for the unexpired term only.
d. The members of the commission shall serve without compensation, but shall be entitled to reimbursement for all necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties.
e. The Governor shall designate a chairperson and, as necessary, any co-chairpersons from among the commission members. The commission shall meet upon the call of the chairperson or of a majority of the commission members. The presence of a majority of the authorized membership of the commission shall be required for the conduct of official business.
3. The commission shall convene within 30 days following the appointment of the last member and shall organize itself into five committees, as follows:
a. a Committee on Economic Development and Trade, which shall be headed by the Director of the Division of Business Assistance, Marketing, and International Trade;
b. a Committee on Culture and Tourism, which shall be headed by the Secretary of State;
c. a Committee on Health and Medicine, which shall be headed by the Commissioner of the Department of Health;
d. a Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources, which shall be headed by the Secretary of the Department of Agriculture; and
e. a Committee on Education and Human Resource Development, which shall be headed by the Commissioner of the Department of Education.
Each committee head may appoint a designee to organize the work of each committee.
4. a. The commission shall have the following powers and duties:
(1) undertake studies, sponsor symposiums, conduct research, and gather information and data in order to accomplish its purposes;
(2) make recommendations to the Division of Business Assistance, Marketing, and International Trade, or its successor, for a broad series of exchanges between the State of New Jersey and identified nation states on the African continent;
(3) advise the Governor regarding the development of economic, agricultural, cultural, educational, and any such other links between New Jersey, African nations, and the African Diaspora community in New Jersey; and
(4) apply for, accept, and expend gifts, grants, or donations from public, quasi-public, or private sources to enable it to better carry out its objectives.
b. The commission shall report its findings and recommendations to the Governor, and the Legislature pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), within one year of its initial organizational meeting and by February 1st of each succeeding year for the activities of the preceding calendar year. The report shall include such recommendations as deemed appropriate by the commission to effectuate its purpose, as provided by this section.
5. The Department of State shall provide the staff assistance required in order to support the work of the commission and its committees. The commission and its committees are authorized to call upon any department, office, division, or agency of the State to supply such data, or other information and assistance as it deems necessary to discharge the responsibilities of the commission.
These departments, offices, divisions, and agencies shall, to the extent possible and not inconsistent with any other law of this State, cooperate with the commission and its committees and shall furnish the commission with such data, information, and assistance as may be necessary or helpful to accomplish the purposes of the commission.
6. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill creates the New Jersey-Africa Commission. The commission will consist of 21 members. Five of the members will be of the Executive Branch, and 16 members will be members of the public. The public members will be residents of New Jersey, identify as part of the African Diaspora, the voluntary and involuntary movement of Africans and their descendants to various parts of the world, and will be appointed by the Governor upon the recommendation of the leadership of the Legislature.
The commission will advise the Governor on ways to improve economic and cultural links between the State and African nations, with a focus on the areas of commerce and trade, agriculture, art, education, and government.
The commission will have the following powers and duties: undertake studies, sponsor symposiums, conduct research, and gather information and data in order to accomplish its purposes; make recommendations to the Division of Business Assistance, Marketing, and International Trade for a broad series of exchanges between the State of New Jersey and identified nation states on the African continent; advise the Governor regarding the development of economic, agricultural, cultural, educational, and any such other links between New Jersey, African nations, and the African Diaspora community in New Jersey; and apply for, accept, and expend gifts, grants, or donations from public, quasi-public, or private sources to enable it to better carry out its objectives.
The commission is to organize itself into five committees, as follows: a Committee on Economic Development and Trade; a Committee on Culture and Tourism; a Committee on Health and Medicine; a Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources; and a Committee on Education and Human Resource Development.
Within one year of the commission's initial organizational meeting, the commission is required to issue an interim report of its work and provide a copy to the Governor and the Legislature. Thereafter, annual reports will be issued by February 1st of each succeeding year for the activities of the preceding calendar year.
