ASSEMBLY APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

ASSEMBLY, No. 2260

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  DECEMBER 13, 2021

      The Assembly Appropriations Committee reports favorably Assembly Bill No. 2260.

     This bill establishes an office in the Department of the Treasury through which the State will encourage establishment of permanent federal jobs, as well as other federal investment, in the State. The federal government creates and maintains jobs and projects throughout the United States and often employs residents of the state in which the projects are located.

     The office will be headed by an officer whose duties will include: seeking to acquire civilian military missions for research, development, acquisition, test, and evaluation; seeking to acquire non-military federal missions and jobs; seeking to retain and grow existing federal missions in the State; and advocating on behalf of the State in qualifying and applying for federal infrastructure investment in the State.

     In the event risk of civilian mission loss or base closure in the State is suspected or identified, the officer will lead a coordinated effort with the Department of Military and Veterans’ Affairs to mitigate the risk.

     The governor will appoint an officer to administer the duties of the office, and the officer may hire necessary staff, including consultants. In addition to other resources made available to the officer, the New Jersey Economic Development Authority’s resources will be available to the officer for use in performance of the officer’s duties. The officer may also ask and receive assistance from any State or local government unit in performance of the officer’s duties. The bill requires the officer to submit semi-annual reports regarding the efforts and outcome of efforts of the office.

      This bill was pre-filed for introduction in the 2020-2021 session pending technical review.  As reported, the bill includes the changes required by technical review, which has been performed.

FISCAL IMPACT:

      The Office of Legislative Services (OLS) finds that annual State expenditures from the General Fund will increase by an indeterminate amount to fund the establishment, duties, and functions of the office created by this bill.  Expenditures related to the creation of this office, including salary costs and benefits for the officer and other staff, would increase the Department of the Treasury’s costs, to the extent that the office will be in, but not of, the Department of the Treasury, and the department will have no supervision over the activities of this independent office. 

      The OLS assumes that compensation for the officer would be commensurate with similar positions in State government, which carry annual salaries of roughly $125,000 to $150,000.  Estimated annual salary costs for additional office personnel is uncertain, since the officer is authorized to appoint, retain, or employ, within funding limits, any qualified personnel that the officer deems necessary.  The OLS notes that the bill does not provide an appropriation for the establishment of the office or the hiring of additional personnel.