ASSEMBLY REGULATED PROFESSIONS COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

ASSEMBLY, No. 3389

with committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED: MAY 4, 2026

      The Assembly Regulated Professions Committee reports favorably and with committee amendments Assembly Bill No. 3389.

      As amended, this bill updates current law by temporarily establishing, for one year, that a quorum exists for the sole purpose of processing applications for licensure with a majority of the members present at a meeting of a professional board, committee or other entity, overseen by the Division of Consumer Affairs in the Department of Law and Public Safety or other State agency.  This includes a meeting with two members in attendance if one of those members is the chair of the entity.  This quorum standard is applicable to applications that do not require legal review due to adverse information in any statutorily-required criminal history record background check.  The quorum standard becomes applicable only if, after a 90-day period, the entity is unable to achieve a quorum in accordance with statutory requirements governing that entity.

      After one year, if a board, committee, or entity does not have the requisite number of members required to sustain a quorum pursuant to the individual statute governing the board, committee, or entity, the board, committee, or entity is to submit a written report to the Legislature with a recommendation for another board, committee, or entity with which it should be merged.  The report is to be submitted within 30 days of the expiration of the bill.

      This bill was prefiled for introduction in the 2026-2027 session pending technical review.  As amended and reported, the bill includes the changes required by technical review, which has been performed.

COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS:

      The committee amended the bill to:

      (1) clarify that two people present, if one is the chair of the entity, qualifies as a quorum if a quorum as required in accordance with the statutory requirements of that entity cannot be met after 90 days;

      (2)  make the provisions of the bill expire after one year;

      (3)  require a report be submitted to the Legislature by a board, committee, or entity on what other board, committee, or entity it should be merged with if, after the expiration, the submitting board, committee, or entity does not have the requisite number of members needed for a quorum; and

      (4)  make technical corrections.