Bill Text: NJ S2778 | 2012-2013 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Establishes New Jersey Advisory Council on Youth and Collegiate Affairs.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2013-11-18 - Substituted by A2920 (1R) [S2778 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2012-S2778-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Senator SANDRA B. CUNNINGHAM
District 31 (Hudson)
SYNOPSIS
Establishes New Jersey Advisory Council on Youth and Collegiate Affairs.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act establishing the New Jersey Advisory Council on Youth and Collegiate Affairs and supplementing Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. There is established the New Jersey Advisory Council on Youth and Collegiate Affairs in the Department of Education.
b. The advisory council shall be under the immediate oversight of the Director of Youth and Collegiate Affairs, who shall be qualified to direct the work of the council. The director shall be appointed by, and shall serve at the pleasure of, the Governor.
c. The purpose of the advisory council shall be to:
(1) act as the advisory body on youth and collegiate affairs to the Legislature and State departments, agencies, commissions, authorities, and private agencies that provide services to, or are charged with the care of, children and young adults; and
(2) review, monitor, report, and make recommendations on issues relating to school-aged children and students attending a public or independent institution of higher education in the State.
d. The advisory council shall consist of 17 members as follows:
(1) eight public members to be appointed by the Governor, who shall include: a representative of Advocates for Children of New Jersey; a representative of the New Jersey Community College Consortium for Workforce and Economic Development; a representative of New Jersey PTA; a school teacher certified by the State Board of Examiners; a school guidance counselor; and three persons who are a parent of a student attending a middle school, or a high school, or a public or private independent institution of higher education in this State, respectively; and
(2) nine public members to be selected by the director of the advisory council pursuant to section 2 of this act. The director shall select three public members from each of the northern, central, and southern regions of the State.
e. Vacancies in the membership of the advisory council shall be filled in the same manner provided for the original appointments. The public members of the council shall serve without compensation but may be reimbursed for traveling and other miscellaneous expenses necessary to perform their duties within the limits of funds made available to the council for its purposes.
f. The advisory council shall organize as soon as practicable but no later than 60 days following the appointment of its members and shall select a chairperson and vice-chairperson from among the members. The chairperson shall appoint a secretary who need not be a member of the council.
g. The advisory council may meet at the call of its chair and hold hearings at the times and in the places it deems appropriate and necessary to fulfill its charge. The council 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.
h. The advisory council may seek the advice of experts, such as persons specializing in the field of education, human services, economic development, or workforce development, or other related fields, as deemed appropriate by the membership of the council.
i. The Department of Education shall provide staff services to the council.
2. a. A person shall be eligible to be selected as a public member of the New Jersey Advisory Council on Youth and Collegiate Affairs, pursuant to paragraph 2 of subsection d. of section 1 of this act, if the person:
(1) is at least 14, but no more than 22, years of age;
(2) has been a resident of New Jersey for a period of at least two years immediately prior to applying for membership on the advisory council;
(3) is a student at a middle school or high school in the State, or is enrolled as an undergraduate in good standing at, or graduated from, a public or independent institution of higher education in the State; and
(4) demonstrates, to the satisfaction of the director of the advisory council, high moral character, good citizenship, and leadership skills.
b. A person who meets the eligibility requirements listed in this section may apply to the director to become a public member of the advisory council on a form and in a manner prescribed by the director.
c. Upon receipt of an application, the director shall review the application, and, if the applicant meets the eligibility requirements, may consider selecting the applicant as a public member of the advisory council.
d. The director shall select an applicant to become a public member of the advisory council based on the applicant's understanding of the responsibilities of the advisory council and general interest in becoming a member of the advisory council.
e. The process by which the director selects each applicant for public membership to the advisory council shall be designed to ensure diversity with respect to race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, gender, disability, sexual orientation, and political affiliation, to the maximum extent practicable, and the representation of a cross section of middle schools, high schools, and public or independent institutions of higher education located in urban, suburban, and rural areas of the State.
3. The advisory council shall:
a. examine issues related to school-aged children and students attending public or independent institutions of higher education in the State, including, but not limited to, education, employment, strategies to promote the involvement of children and young adults in government affairs, the accessibility of government services by children and young adults, and substance abuse prevention, intervention, treatment, and rehabilitation;
b. support existing, and develop new, Statewide initiatives relating to school-aged children and students attending public or independent institutions of higher education in the State;
c. develop and foster partnerships among federal, State, and local government entities, members of the educational community, private, nonprofit, and volunteer agencies, community-based organizations, private foundations, and representatives of the business community that provide services to, administer programs for, or mentor school-aged children and students attending public or independent institutions of higher education in the State, so as to enable them to better coordinate and improve the effectiveness of these services and programs; and
d. train advisory council members to serve as ambassadors to school-aged children and students attending public or independent institutions of higher education in the State to encourage their participation in civic enrichment activities.
4. The advisory council shall report to the Governor, and to the Legislature pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), by December 31st of each year, on the activities of the advisory council and its findings and recommendations regarding issues relating to school-aged children and students attending public or independent institutions of higher education in the State.
5. The State Board of Education, pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), shall adopt rules and regulations necessary to effectuate the purposes of this act.
6. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill establishes a 17-member New Jersey Advisory Council on Youth and Collegiate Affairs in the Department of Education. The purpose of the council is to act as an advisory body on youth and collegiate affairs to the Legislature and State departments, agencies, commissions, authorities, and private agencies that provide services to children and young adults, and review, monitor, report, and make recommendations on issues relating to school-aged children and students attending public or independent institutions of higher education in the State.
The membership of the advisory council will consist of: eight public members to be appointed by the Governor, including a representative of Advocates for Children of New Jersey, a representative of the New Jersey Community College Consortium for Workforce and Economic Development, a representative of New Jersey PTA, a school teacher certified by the State Board of Examiners, a school guidance counselor, and three persons who are parents of a student attending a middle school, a high school, or a public or independent institution of higher education in this State; and nine public members, three of whom must be from each of the northern, central, and southern regions of the State.
The bill directs the advisory council to: examine issues related to school-aged children and students attending public and independent institutions of higher education in the State; support existing, and develop new, Statewide initiatives relating to those students; develop and foster partnerships among government entities, members of the educational community, private agencies, foundations, community-based organizations, and representatives of the business community that provide services to students; and train its members to serve as ambassadors to encourage participation in civic enrichment activities.
The bill requires the advisory council to report annually to the Governor and the Legislature on the activities of the council and its findings and recommendations regarding issues relating to school-aged children and students attending public and independent institutions of higher education in the State.
