Bill > S1587

Introduced Session

This bill establishes the Department of Commerce and Innovation (department) as a principal department in the Executive Branch of the State government. New Jersey has historically been a hub for business and industry in the United States, in sectors that range from textiles and ceramics to pharmaceuticals and scientific innovation, and it is the policy of this State to continue to be an economic leader in this country. It is also the policy of New Jersey to stimulate economic growth and development in ways that are efficient and coordinated across all sectors, departments, and agencies; however, this State has seen a decrease in coordination and centralization of these efforts, starting with the abolishment of the Department of Commerce and Economic Development (Commerce Department) in 1998. With the abolishment of the Commerce Department, the New Jersey Commerce and Economic Growth Commission, later renamed the New Jersey Commerce Commission (commission), was established in but not of the Department of the Treasury for the purpose of streamlining the coordination of economic development in this State to meet the demands of the 21st Century. Yet, in 2008, the commission was also abolished and its functions, duties, offices, and programs were dispersed among several departments and agencies, with tourism responsibilities transferred to the Department of State, and most other functions and duties being transferred to the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (authority), an authority formerly housed within the Commerce Department. Some of the functions and duties of the commission were transferred to the Division of Business Assistance, Marketing, and International Trade, which was established within the authority with the abolishment of the commission, and, in 2011, was itself renamed the Business Action Center and transferred to the Department of State through Executive Reorganization Plan No. 003-2011. With the State government's gradual decentralization of economic growth policy and administration, New Jersey has struggled to coordinate a cohesive policy approach to attract and foster business, industry, and innovation in this State, and in recent years has fallen behind other states, particularly in science, technology, and engineering. It is in the best interest of the citizens of this State to establish a principal department within the Executive Branch to serve as a centralized focus for business and industrial concerns, to serve as a voice and advocate of the interests of the business and innovation community to the Executive Branch and to the Legislature, to realign the functions and duties of several State agencies in a coordinated manner to streamline the administration of business assistance and innovation programs and policy, to eliminate the confusion felt within the business community concerning the myriad State programs and policy objectives that are difficult to navigate or discover due to being spread across several State agencies and departments, and to establish a strong, centralized business-centered State identity that will again put New Jersey at the forefront of business, industry, and innovation in this country. The administrator and chief executive officer of the department is to be a commissioner, who is to be known as the Commissioner of Commerce and Innovation (commissioner), and who is to be a person qualified by training and experience to perform the duties of the office. The commissioner is to be appointed by the Governor, with the advice and consent of the Senate, and is to serve at the pleasure of the Governor during the Governor's term of office and until the appointment and qualification of the commissioner's successor. The commissioner is to devote the commissioner's entire time to the duties of the office and is to receive a salary as provided by law. Any vacancy occurring in the office of the commissioner is to be filled in the same manner as the original appointment. The department and the commissioner are to be responsible for the activities of the State government in the support and development of business, industry, and innovation through aid, promotion, and advertising, domestic and foreign commerce, business and technological growth, and any program as determined by the department. The department and commissioner also are to be responsible for research and statistics in the fields of commerce, business, and innovation and maintenance of a business information service. The Business Action Center in the Department of State, the Economic Development Authority in but not of the Department of the Treasury, and the New Jersey Commission on Science, Innovation and Technology in but not of the Department of the Treasury, are to be transferred, together with all functions, powers, and duties, to the department. This bill amends existing law to add the commissioner to the board of the authority. This bill provides that, within three months of the effective date of this bill, after consultation with all division directors, the State Treasurer, and the commissioners of appropriate commissions and executive departments, including but not necessarily limited to the Department of Labor and Workforce Development, the Department of State, the Department of Environmental Protection, and the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education, the commissioner is to prepare and submit a report to the Governor and to the Legislature identifying: those functions and duties currently exercised by other departments, divisions, agencies, commissions, councils, boards, offices, or bureaus of State government relating to commerce, economic development, and innovation that may be appropriately transferred to the department and those functions and duties transferred to the department pursuant to the provisions of this bill that may be appropriately transferred to other departments. The transfers may be effectuated by executive order or law, as the case may be.

Committee Categories

Andrew Zwicker (D)*, 

Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Commerce Committee (on 01/09/2024)

Official Document