SENATE, No. 895

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

221st LEGISLATURE

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2024 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Senator  KRISTIN M. CORRADO

District 40 (Bergen, Essex and Passaic)

SYNOPSIS

     Deactivates certain committees, councils, panels, and task forces of advisory or temporary nature if entity does not meet or have quorum at least once every year.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

     Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.

An Act concerning the inactivation of certain committees, councils, panels, and task forces and supplementing Title 52 of the Revised Statutes.

Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

     1.    Notwithstanding the provisions of any law, rule, regulation, or order to the contrary, if a committee, council, panel, task force, or other body, whose purposes or duties are advisory or temporary in nature, and created by an act or joint resolution  does not meet or is not able to conduct business due to the lack of a quorum, at least once every 365 days, that body shall be deemed inactive.  The Secretary of State shall annually review the meeting records of every body created by an act or joint resolution and determine what body shall be deemed inactive by the provisions of this section.  If a body has been deemed inactive by the provisions of this section, the appointment of all members serving on that body shall be deemed terminated, and that body shall not be allowed to call to its assistance and avail itself of the services of employees of any State, county, or municipal department, board, bureau, commission, or agency.

     2.    This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

      This bill provides that if a committee, council, panel, task force, or other body whose purposes or duties are advisory or temporary in nature, and created by an act or joint resolution does not meet, or is not able to conduct business due to the lack of a quorum, at least once every 365 days, that body is to be deemed inactive. The bill requires the Secretary of State to annually review the meeting records of every such body to determine if it is deemed inactive by the provisions of the bill.  If a body is deemed inactive under the bill, the appointment of all members serving on that body would be terminated, and that body would not be allowed to call to its assistance and avail itself of the services of employees of any State, county, or municipal department, board, bureau, commission, or agency.