Bill > S3695

Introduced Session

This bill establishes the Transportation Authority of New Jersey (authority) in, but not of, the Department of Transportation (department) and consolidates the New Jersey Turnpike Authority, the New Jersey Transit Corporation, and the New Jersey Transportation Trust Fund Authority (collectively, "transportation entities") as subsidiaries within the authority. The bill transfers certain powers, duties, and oversight of the transportation entities and the department's transportation planning powers and duties to the authority. The authority is to serve as the centralized transportation hub for the State in order to break down silos, improve efficiencies, and promote more holistic capital planning. Under the bill, the authority will centralize and improve efficiency in transportation planning in New Jersey by: (1) centralizing certain administrative functions of the transportation entities outlined in the bill; (2) establishing a holistic capital program for the State by assuming responsibility for capital planning from the department and the transportation entities; (4) developing and approving the budgets for each transportation entity; and (5) directing the transfer of transportation entity funding, as necessary and with certain limitations outlined in the bill, from one transportation entity to another. The bill requires the Chair of the Board of the Transportation Authority of New Jersey (board chair) to establish different committees to help the board fulfill these responsibilities. Moreover, the bill amends current law to remove the existing governing bodies of each transportation entity and, instead, requires the Board of the Transportation Authority of New Jersey (board) to establish leadership committees to oversee each transportation entity. The board chair is to serve as the committee chair for each leadership committee created under the bill. The bill also requires the board to effectuate the authority's responsibilities in consultation with an independent consultant who is to be selected by the Department of the Treasury pursuant to a procedure described in the bill. The board is to be comprised of 19 members appointed by the Governor for four-year, staggered terms and the board chair is to also serve as the chief executive officer of the authority. The bill also establishes certain public accessibility requirements for board meetings and meeting minutes. On the Transfer Date specified in the bill, the authority is to assume the statutory responsibilities and powers of each transportation entity and the department to the extent necessary to effectuate the authority's responsibilities outlined in the bill. In addition, any employees of a transportation entity or the department who primarily administer one of the responsibilities transferred to the authority under the bill are to be transferred to the authority and become employees of the authority and any union contracts for the transportation entities and the department are to continue in effect until new or revised contracts are entered. Nothing in the bill is to deprive any employee of a transportation entity or the department of their rights, privileges, obligations, or status regarding any pension or retirement system or to affect the civil service status, if any, of the employees. Under the bill, any rules and regulations adopted by the transportation entities and the department are to continue in effect as rules and regulations adopted by the authority until the rules and regulations are amended, supplemented, or rescinded by the authority. The bill permits the authority to adopt rules and regulations modifying or repealing the rules and regulations of a transportation entity or the department pursuant to a procedure prescribed in the bill. The transportation entities are to retain their bonding powers and obligations under current law. As soon as practicable after the Transfer Date, the authority is to notify the Governor and the presiding officers of each house of the Legislature that the transfer has occurred, of the date of the transfer, and of any other information concerning the transfer as the authority deems appropriate.

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Vin Gopal (D)*, 

Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Transportation Committee (on 02/24/2026)

Official Document