Bill > A620

Introduced Session

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.

AI Summary

Committee Categories

Shavonda Sumter (D)*, 

Introduced, Referred to Assembly State and Local Government Committee (on 01/09/2024)

Official Document