A5408

An Act creating the New Jersey-Africa Commission and supplementing chapter 18A of Title 52 of the Revised Statutes.

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

1. The Legislature finds and declares that:

a. The State of New Jersey is fortunate to have a population of multinational origin, which includes approximately one million people who trace their ancestry to the continent of Africa, and more recent African immigrants;

b. The nation states of Africa constitute emerging markets with which businesses and organizations in New Jersey may engage in mutually beneficial projects;

c. The new democratic governments on the continent of Africa could benefit from the knowledge and practices of democratic institutions in the State of New Jersey; and

d. The establishment of a New Jersey-Africa Commission would facilitate cultural, trade, governmental, and educational exchanges between the citizens, businesses, and organizations in the State of New Jersey and their counterparts in African nations.

2. a. The New Jersey-Africa Commission is created and established in the Executive Branch of the State Government. For the purposes of complying with the provisions of Article V, Section IV, paragraph 1 of the New Jersey Constitution, the commission is allocated within the Department of the Treasury.

b. The commission shall consist of 21 members, including the Director of the Division of Business Assistance, Marketing, and International Trade, the Commissioner of Health, the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Agriculture, and the Commissioner of Education, serving ex officio, and 16 public members.

The public members shall be appointed as follows: four public members shall be appointed by the President of the Senate; four public members shall be appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly; and eight public members shall be appointed by the Governor, with the advice and consent of the Senate.

c. Each public member of the commission shall serve for a term of three years, expiring on January 1 in the appropriate year; except that of the members first appointed, four shall be appointed for a term of one year, six shall be appointed for a term of two years, and six shall be appointed for a term of three years, as determined by the Governor. Public members shall be eligible for reappointment. The public members shall serve until their successors are appointed and qualified, and the term of the successor of any incumbent shall be calculated from the expiration of the term of that incumbent. A vacancy occurring other than by expiration of term shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment but for the unexpired term only.

d. The members of the commission shall serve without compensation, but they shall be entitled to reimbursement for all necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties.

e. The Governor shall designate a chairperson and, as necessary, any co-chairpersons from among the commission members. The commission shall meet upon the call of the chairperson or of a majority of the commission members. The presence of a majority of the authorized membership of the commission shall be required for the conduct of official business.

3. The commission shall convene within 14 days following the appointment of the last member and shall organize itself into five committees, as follows:

a. a Committee on Economic Development and Trade, which shall be headed by the Director of the Division of Business Assistance, Marketing, and International Trade;

b. a Committee on Education and Human Resource Development, which shall be headed by the Commissioner of Education;

c. a Committee on Health and Medicine, which shall be headed by the Commissioner of Health;

d. a Committee on Culture and Tourism, which shall be headed by the Secretary of State; and

e. a Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources, which shall be headed by the Secretary of Agriculture.

Each committee head may appoint a designee to organize the work of each committee.

4. a. It shall be the responsibility of the commission to assist the Division of Business Assistance, Marketing, and International Trade, or its successor, with recommendations for a broad series of exchanges between the State of New Jersey and identified nation states on the African continent.

b. The commission shall report its findings and recommendations to the Governor, and the Legislature pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), within one year of its initial organizational meeting and by February 1st of each succeeding year for the activities of the preceding calendar year. The report shall be in writing and include such recommendations as deemed appropriate by the commission to effectuate its purpose, as provided by this section.

5. a. The Division of Business Assistance, Marketing, and International Trade shall provide the staff assistance required in order to support the work of the commission and its committees. In addition, the commission and its committees are authorized to call upon any department, office, division, or agency of the State to supply such data, or other information and assistance as it deems necessary to discharge the responsibilities of the commission.

b. These departments, offices, divisions, and agencies shall, to the extent possible and not inconsistent with any other law of this State, cooperate with the commission and its committees and shall furnish it with such data, information, and assistance as may be necessary or helpful to accomplish the purposes of the commission.

6. This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

This bill establishes the New Jersey-Africa Commission (“commission”) which shall consist of 21 members, of whom five are State cabinet members who shall serve ex officio. For the purposes of complying with the State Constitution, the commission is to be allocated within the Department of the Treasury.

Of the 16 public members, four are to be appointed by the President of the Senate, four by the Speaker of the General Assembly, and eight by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate. Public members are to serve staggered terms of three years. Members of the commission shall serve without compensation, but may be reimbursed for their expenses. The bill requires that the Governor designate a chairperson and any co-chairpersons deemed necessary by the Governor.

The commission is to organize itself into five committees, as follows: 1) a Committee on Economic Development and Trade, to be headed by the Director of the Division of Business Assistance, Marketing, and International Trade; 2) a Committee on Education and Human Resource Development, to be headed by the Commissioner of Education; 3) a Committee on Health and Medicine, to be headed by the Commissioner of Health; 4) a Committee on Culture and Tourism, to be headed by the Secretary of State; and 5) a Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources, to be headed by the Secretary of Agriculture.

The commission’s responsibility under the bill is to make recommendations to the Division of Business Assistance, Marketing, and International Trade for a broad series of exchanges between the State of New Jersey and African nations. Within one year of the commission’s initial organizational meeting, the commission is required to issue an interim report of its work and provide a copy to the Governor, each member of the Senate and each member of the General Assembly. Thereafter, annual reports shall be issued by February 1st of each succeeding year for the activities of the preceding calendar year.

This bill requires that staff support for the commission and its committees be provided by the Division of Business Assistance, Marketing, and International Trade. Accordingly, the bill provides no appropriation to the New Jersey-Africa Commission.