Bill Text: NJ A1985 | 2024-2025 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Establishes Legislative Enactment Oversight Committee to ensure implementation of enacted laws and joint resolutions.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-01-09 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Oversight, Reform and Federal Relations Committee [A1985 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2024-A1985-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
221st LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2024 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman SHANIQUE SPEIGHT
District 29 (Essex and Hudson)
Assemblywoman YVONNE LOPEZ
District 19 (Middlesex)
SYNOPSIS
Establishes Legislative Enactment Oversight Committee to ensure implementation of enacted laws and joint resolutions.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Act establishing the Legislative Enactment Oversight Committee 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. The Legislature finds and declares that bills and joint resolutions that have been passed by the Legislature and signed by the Governor may not be implemented in a timely manner or in accordance with the specific provisions of that law or joint resolution. The adoption of administrative rules and regulations, the appointment of essential personnel, or the establishment of a process or program in accordance with the law or joint resolution may be delayed, affecting the government's ability to function effectively and provide necessary services.
A committee is needed to monitor the implementation of laws and joint resolutions to ensure that they are implemented by the appropriate public entity effectively and efficiently, in a timely manner, and in accordance with their specific provisions.
b. The Legislative Enactment Oversight Committee is hereby established in the Department of State.
The purpose of the committee
shall be to monitor the implementation of laws and joint resolutions to ensure
that they are implemented by the appropriate public entity effectively and
efficiently, in a timely manner, and in accordance with their specific
provisions. The committee shall monitor all laws and joint resolutions enacted
after the effective date of this act, P.L. ,
c. (C. )(pending before the legislature as this bill), and all laws
and joint resolutions enacted within five years before that effective date.
The committee shall track the implementation of a law and joint resolution; assess the efficiency, accuracy, and timeliness of the implementation; evaluate the factors that contribute to a delay in implementation; evaluate whether the public entity responsible for implementation has the necessary resources to effectively and efficiently implement the law or joint resolution; and collect data on the impact of the law and joint resolution.
The committee may contract with independent consultants to assist in the conduct of the monitoring, tracking, assessing, evaluating, and collecting required of the committee.
The committee shall assign staff to respond promptly to members of the Legislature who inquire about the implementation status of a law or joint resolution.
All State department and agencies shall assist the committee in the performance of its duties upon request of the committee.
c. The committee shall consist of 15 members who are New Jersey residents.
The members shall be appointed as follows.
(1) Three members shall be appointed by the Governor upon the recommendation of the President of the Senate, one of whom shall have experience in matters concerning elections, one of whom shall have experience in matters concerning housing and community affairs, and one of whom shall have experience with matters concerning labor and workforce development;
(2) Two members shall be appointed by the Governor upon the recommendation of the Minority Leader of the Senate, one of whom shall have experience in matters concerning education, and one of whom shall have experience in matters concerning agriculture;
(3) Three members shall be appointed by the Governor upon the recommendation of the Speaker of the General Assembly, one of whom shall have experience in matters concerning human services, one of whom shall have experience in matters concerning accounting, and one of whom shall have experience in matters concerning the environment;
(4) Two members shall be appointed by the Governor upon the recommendation of the Minority Leader of the General Assembly, one of whom shall have experience in matters concerning children and family services, and one of whom shall have experience with matters concerning transportation.
(5) Five members shall be appointed by the Governor, one of whom shall have experience in matters concerning pensions and health benefits, one of whom shall have experience in matters concerning law and public safety, one of whom shall have experience in matters concerning gaming and casinos, one of whom shall have experience in matters concerning military and veterans affairs, and one of whom shall have experience concerning matters of diversity and minority affairs.
d. The members shall serve for a term of five years. Of the members appointed upon the recommendation of a member of the Legislature, the initial appointment shall be for a term of four years. Of the members appointed directly by the Governor, the initial appointment shall be for a term of three years.
The members shall serve until their successors have been appointed and qualified. Any vacancy shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment for the unexpired term only.
Any member of the committee may be removed from office by the Governor, for cause, upon notice and opportunity to be heard.
The Governor shall appoint the chair of the committee. The members of the committee shall elect, by a majority of the total membership of the committee, one of the members to serve as vice-chair during that member's term. A new vice-chair shall be elected upon the expiration of the current vice-chair's term, even if that member remains on the committee until that member's successor is duly appointed and qualified.
e. The committee may conduct business without a majority of the total authorized membership of the committee present, but shall not take any official action, such as adopt a recommendation or a report without the approval of a majority of the total membership of the committee.
The committee shall adopt annually a schedule of regular meetings, and special meetings may be held at the call of the chair.
The committee, in its discretion, may divide its membership into subcommittees in the course of carrying out its duties.
The committee may adopt policies, procedures, and rules for an organizational structure, and policies and procedures for the committee's internal operations, as may be necessary to carry out its duties and responsibilities.
f. The committee may employ such personnel as it deems necessary. The Department of State shall assign such personnel to serve the committee as the committee may request.
The committee shall also be entitled to call to its assistance and avail itself of the services of the employees of any State, county, or municipal department, board, bureau, commission, or agency as it may require and as may be available for its purposes.
The Secretary of State shall include in the annual budget request of the Department of State a request for sufficient funds to effectuate the purposes of this act.
g. The members shall devote full time to their respective duties of office. Each member shall receive an annual salary fixed and established by the Governor, which shall not exceed $120,000 for the chair, and which shall not exceed $90,000 for the remaining members.
All appointed members of the committee shall be members of the State's unclassified service.
The members shall not be eligible for participation or enrollment in any State-administered retirement system or the State Health Benefits Program.
The committee may incur additional expenses within the limits of funds available to it in order to carry out its duties and responsibilities.
h. The committee shall submit periodic reports, no less than twice a year, concerning its findings and actions related to its duties to the Governor and, pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), the Legislature.
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill establishes a Legislative Enactment Oversight Committee within the Department of State to review the implementation of enacted laws and resolutions. The committee will monitor the implementation of laws and joint resolutions to ensure that they are implemented by the appropriate public entity effectively and efficiently, in a timely manner, and in accordance with their specific provisions.
The committee will consist of 15 persons who will be New Jersey residents, and will serve for a term of five years. Each member will receive an annual salary fixed and established by the Governor. The salary for the chair will not exceed $120,000, and the salary for the remaining members will not exceed $90,000.
The committee will annually adopt a schedule of regular meetings, and special meetings may be held at the call of the chair. The appointed members will be members of the State's unclassified service. The committee, in its discretion, may divide its membership into subcommittees in the course of carrying out its duties. The committee will submit periodic reports, no less than twice a year, concerning its findings and actions related to its duties.
