Sponsored by:
Senator GERALD CARDINALE
District 39 (Bergen and Passaic)
Senator SANDRA B. CUNNINGHAM
District 31 (Hudson)
Co-Sponsored by:
Senators Allen and Ruiz
SYNOPSIS
Establishes “Commission on College Tuition.”
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As reported by the Senate Higher Education Committee on June 4, 2012, with amendments.
An Act establishing a “Commission on College Tuition.”
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. There is established a commission to be known as the "Commission on College Tuition." The commission shall consist of 1[eleven] seven1 members as follows: the Secretary of Higher Education, ex officio, or a designee; 1[two members of the Senate to be appointed by the President of the Senate, which members shall not be of the same political party; two members of the General Assembly to be appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly, which members shall not be of the same political party;]1 and six public members to be appointed by the Governor representing the higher education community, including 1managerial1 representatives of public 1[four-year institutions of higher education] research universities, State colleges or universities established pursuant to chapter 64 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes1, independent institutions of higher education, the county colleges, and proprietary institutions authorized to offer licensed degree programs.
2. All appointments to the commission shall be made within 30 days of the effective date of this act. Vacancies in the membership of the commission shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointments were made. Members of the commission shall serve without compensation but shall be entitled to their actual and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties pursuant to this act.
3. a. The commission shall organize within 30 days after the appointment of its members and shall select a chairperson and a vice-chairperson from among its members and a secretary who need not be a member of the commission.
b. Staff and related support services shall be provided to the commission by the office of the Secretary of Higher Education. The commission 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 to it for its purposes.
4. It shall be the duty of the commission to study and make recommendations to the Governor and the Legislature regarding the rising costs of higher education in New Jersey. The commission shall identify and examine: the factors which contribute to tuition levels in each sector of higher education in the State; how tuition 1and public funding1 levels have changed over the last 10 years in each sector; and why tuition levels vary across the different sectors of higher education. 1The commission shall examine research from national organizations that have studied national trends on the tuition levels in each sector and the factors that influence those tuition levels.1
5. The commission may meet and hold hearings at the place or places it designates during the sessions or recesses of the Legislature. The commission shall issue a final 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 six months following its organizational meeting.
6. This act shall take effect immediately.