Bill > A2497

Introduced Session

This bill would revise the reappointment process for administrative law judges, and establish tenure upon reappointment with the Senate's advice and consent. Currently, whenever the Governor nominates an administrative law judge for reappointment, such reappointment is for a term of five years and until the appointment and qualification of the judge's successor (either a new judge or the judge succeeding him- or herself). A judge can be reappointed to multiple five-year terms until attaining the age of 70 years, at which time the judge faces mandatory retirement. Under the bill, any judge nominated for reappointment on or after the bill's effective date (the first day of the second month next following enactment) would be eligible for lifetime tenure until attaining the age of mandatory retirement. In order for the Senate to make a more informed decision about granting lifetime tenure, the judicial evaluations of tenure-eligible nominees would be made available to the Senate Judiciary Committee for review as part of the Senate's advice and consent process. Additionally, the bill changes the references to the "Director and Chief Administrative Law Judge" and "Director/Chief Administrative Law Judge" to only reference the director position in order to make this reference consistent throughout the relevant statutory sections, as there are a multitude of references just to the director. Per section 3 of P.L.1978, c.67 (C.52:14F-3), the term "director" as used in those sections means "the Director of the Office of Administrative Law and Chief Administrative Law Judge," thus only the reference to the director is needed.

AI Summary

Committee Categories

John Allen (D)*, 

Introduced, Referred to Assembly Judiciary Committee (on 01/09/2024)

Official Document