Bill Text: NJ A910 | 2014-2015 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Creates commission to study effectiveness of county government; appropriates $95,000.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2014-01-16 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly State and Local Government Committee [A910 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2014-A910-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
216th LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2014 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman NANCY F. MUNOZ
District 21 (Morris, Somerset and Union)
SYNOPSIS
Creates commission to study effectiveness of county government; appropriates $95,000.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel
An Act creating a commission to study the effectiveness of county government and making an appropriation.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. There is established a study commission to be known as the "Effectiveness of County Government Study Commission," to review the effectiveness of county government in providing the services and performing the functions currently required by statutory law. The commission shall consist of nine members. Four members shall be members of the Legislature, one member shall be the Commissioner of Community Affairs ex officio, or his or her designee, and four members shall be members of the public to be appointed by the Governor. Two of the legislative members, who shall not be of the same political party, shall be appointed by the President of the Senate, and two of the legislative members, who shall not be of the same political party, shall be appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly. The members appointed from the Senate and the General Assembly shall serve during the two-year legislative session in which the appointment is made. The Governor shall appoint a chairperson from among the public members of the commission. The members of the commission shall appoint a secretary who need not be a member of the commission. Vacancies in the membership shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointments were made. The members shall serve without remuneration, but shall be eligible for reimbursement for necessary and reasonable expenses incurred in the performance of their official duties, within the limits of funds appropriated or otherwise made available to the commission for its purposes.
2. The commission shall meet as soon as practicable after the appointment of its members. The commission may meet and hold hearings at any place or places it shall designate during the sessions or recesses of the Legislature. The commission shall hold at least three public hearings and shall elicit the participation of the general public as well as experts on State, county and municipal government.
3. The Executive Director of the Office of Legislative Services shall provide such technical, stenographic and secretarial assistance as may be required by the commission. The commission may also request the assistance and services of the employees of any other State, county or municipal department, board, bureau, commission, task force or agency as it may require and as may be available to it for its purposes, and incur travel and other miscellaneous expenses necessary to perform its duties, within the limits of funds made available to it for its purposes.
4. It shall be the duty of the study commission to review the laws and regulations governing the functions of and services provided by county government to the people of this State, and to make recommendations as to whether those functions are currently being performed in the most effective and economical manner. The commission shall also determine whether those functions and services can be performed more efficiently and effectively by State or municipal government, and if so, shall recommend to the Governor and the Legislature a plan for the reassignment of those functions and services that it deems better provided by State or municipal government to the appropriate governmental entity.
The commission shall report its findings to the Governor and to the Legislature upon completion of its work, but not later than 18 months after the initial appointment of all of its members. The commission shall accompany the report with any recommendations for legislation which it may have concerning the effectiveness of county government.
5. There is appropriated to the commission from the General Fund the sum of $95,000 to effectuate the provisions of this act.
6. The commission shall expire upon the issuance of its final report and recommendations to the Governor and to the Legislature.
7. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill establishes the "Effectiveness of County Government Study Commission," to study the effectiveness of county government in providing the services and performing the functions currently required by statutory law. The bill requires the commission to review each function and service performed by county government and to determine whether such functions and services are being performed most effectively and economically. The bill also requires the commission to determine whether those functions and services can be performed more efficiently and effectively by State or municipal government, and if so, to recommend to the Governor and the Legislature a plan for the reassignment of those functions and services that it deems better provided by State or municipal government to the appropriate governmental entity.
The commission is to be comprised of nine members: two from the Senate, who shall not be members of the same political party, to be appointed by the Senate President; two from the General Assembly, who shall not be members of the same political party, to be appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly; the Commissioner of Community Affairs or his or her designee; and four members of the public to be appointed by the Governor. The chairman of the commission is to be appointed from among the public members by the Governor. The commission is required to report its findings to the Governor and to the Legislature not later than 18 months after the initial appointment of all of its members.
The bill also appropriates $95,000 to the commission.
