Sponsored by:
Assemblyman DAVID P. RIBLE
District 30 (Monmouth and Ocean)
SYNOPSIS
Establishes "Ethanol Study Commission."
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act establishing the "Ethanol Study Commission."
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. There is created, within the Department of Environmental Protection, the "Ethanol Study Commission."
b. The study commission shall consist of five members, to be appointed as follows:
(1) one member to be appointed by the Governor;
(2) two members of the Senate, of whom one shall be appointed by the President of the Senate and one shall be appointed by the Minority Leader of the Senate; and
(3) two members of the General Assembly, of whom one shall be appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly and one shall to be appointed by the Minority Leader of the General Assembly.
c. Any vacancy in the membership of the commission shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment.
d. Members of the commission shall be appointed within 30 days after the effective date of this act, and shall hold their initial organizational meeting as soon as practicable, but no later than 30 days following appointment of a majority of its authorized membership. At the initial organizational meeting, the members shall elect a chairperson and vice-chairperson from among the members of the study commission by a majority vote of the members present.
e. Members of the study commission shall serve without compensation.
f. A majority of all the authorized members of the study commission shall constitute a quorum, and no action of the study commission shall be taken without the affirmative vote of a majority of all the authorized members of the study commission, except for the election of the chairperson and vice-chairperson at the initial organizational meeting pursuant to subsection d. of this section.
g. The Department of Environmental Protection shall provide primary staff support to the study commission.
2. a. The purpose of the Ethanol Study Commission shall be to determine (1) the necessity of ethanol in gasoline and alternatives to ethanol that may be available, and (2) whether New Jersey should and could, through legal action or legislative means, prohibit ethanol in gasoline in the State.
b. The study commission shall:
(1) determine if the ethanol component of gasoline can be eliminated or reduced while complying with federal ethanol requirements;
(2) study and analyze alternatives to ethanol in gasoline that would comply with federal ethanol requirements;
(3) identify cost-effective and energy-effective techniques to produce ethanol; and
(4) consult with the scientific and academic community for expertise and input concerning paragraphs (1) through (3) of this subsection.
c. The study commission shall prepare a final report on its findings, conclusions, and recommendations and shall submit the report to the Governor and to the Legislature in accordance with the requirements of section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), no later than six months following its organizational meeting.
3. This act shall take effect immediately and shall expire on the 30th day after the study commission submits its final report.
STATEMENT
This bill establishes the "Ethanol Study Commission," to consist of five members. Of the total membership, one member would be appointed by the Governor, one member would be appointed by the President of the Senate, one member would be appointed by the Senate Minority Leader, one member would be appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly, and one member would be appointed by the General Assembly Minority Leader. Members of the study commission would serve without compensation.
The purpose of the Ethanol Study Commission would be to determine (1) the necessity of ethanol in gasoline and alternatives to ethanol that may be available, and (2) whether New Jersey should and could, through legal action or legislative means, prohibit ethanol in gasoline in the State. Studies have shown that ethanol decreases gasoline mileage and adds up to 14 cents per gallon to the cost of gasoline.
The study commission would:
(1) determine if the ethanol component of gasoline can be eliminated or reduced while complying with federal ethanol requirements;
(2) study and analyze alternatives to ethanol in gasoline that would comply with federal ethanol requirements;
(3) identify cost-effective and energy-effective techniques to produce ethanol; and
(4) consult with the scientific and academic community for expertise and input on its work.
The bill requires the study commission to prepare a final report on its findings, conclusions, and recommendations and submit it to the Governor and the Legislature. The study commission would expire 30 days after submitting its report.