Bill Text: NJ A435 | 2016-2017 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Establishes "North Jersey District Water Supply Commission and Passaic Valley Water Commission Consolidation Committee."
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2016-01-27 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Environment and Solid Waste Committee [A435 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2016-A435-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
217th LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2016 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman TIM EUSTACE
District 38 (Bergen and Passaic)
SYNOPSIS
Establishes "North Jersey District Water Supply Commission and Passaic Valley Water Commission Consolidation Committee."
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Act to study the consolidation of the North Jersey District Water Supply Commission and the Passaic Valley Water Commission.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. There is created a committee to be known as the "North Jersey District Water Supply Commission and Passaic Valley Water Commission Consolidation Committee."
The committee shall consist of seven members, as follows: two members appointed by the Governor with professional background and expertise in the area of water supply issues; one member appointed by the Governor with professional background and expertise in public finance; two members appointed by the President of the Senate; and two members appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly. The members appointed pursuant to this subsection shall be independent public administration or water policy experts, policymakers, or practitioners, and none may have served as a commissioner or employee of the North Jersey District Water Supply Commission or the Passaic Valley Water Commission.
b. Members of the committee shall be appointed within 30 days after the effective date of this act. The committee shall organize as soon as practicable, but no later than 30 days following the appointment of its members, and shall select a chairperson from among its members. The chairperson shall appoint a secretary, who need not be a member of the committee.
c. Members of the committee shall serve without compensation, but shall be reimbursed for necessary expenses actually incurred in the performance of their duties as members of the committee within the limits of funds appropriated or otherwise made available to the committee for its purposes.
2. The committee shall submit a report to the Governor, and to the Legislature pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), no later than 12 months following the organization of the committee concerning possible consolidation of the North Jersey District Water Supply Commission and the Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission. The report shall contain the committee's findings and recommendations concerning potential issues posed by the consolidation including, but not limited to: legal matters, including review of bond covenants and labor issues; operational matters; financial matters, including savings and costs; and any other matter the committee deems relevant. If the committee determines that consolidation is a viable option, the committee shall submit with its recommendations a legislative proposal to consolidate the North Jersey District Water Supply Commission and the Passaic Valley Water Commission for adoption by the Legislature.
3. The committee shall 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 to it for its purposes, and to employ stenographic and clerical assistance and incur traveling and other miscellaneous expenses necessary to perform its duties, within the limits of funds appropriated or otherwise made available to it for its purposes.
4. The committee may meet and hold hearings at the places it designates, at which it may request the appearance of officials of any State agency or political subdivision of the State and may solicit testimony of interested groups and the general public.
5. This act shall take effect immediately and shall expire on the 60th day after submission of the report required pursuant to section 2 of this act.
STATEMENT
This bill would establish a "North Jersey District Water Supply Commission and Passaic Valley Water Commission Consolidation Committee."
The committee is to submit a report to the Governor and the Legislature within one year concerning the possible consolidation of the North Jersey District Water Supply Commission (NJDWSC) and the Passaic Valley Water Commission (PVWC). The report is to contain the committee's findings and recommendations concerning potential issues posed by the consolidation including: legal matters, including review of bond covenants and labor issues; operational matters; financial matters, including savings and costs; and any other matter the committee deems relevant. If the committee determines that consolidation is a viable option, the committee is to submit with its recommendations a legislative proposal to consolidate the NJDWSC and PVWC for adoption by the Legislature.
The committee is to consist of seven members, as follows: three members appointed by the Governor, of which two would have professional background and expertise in the area of water supply or water infrastructure issues and one would have professional background and expertise in public finance; two members appointed by the President of the Senate; and two members appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly. All members are to be independent public administration and water policy experts,
policymakers, or practitioners, and none may have served as a commissioner or employee of the NJDWSC or PVWC.
