S 3918 New Jersey Senate · 2024-2025 Regular Session

Requires appointment of alternate members of Peter J. Barnes III Wildlife Preservation Commission.

This bill requires each municipal appointing authority (Edison Township, Metuchen Borough, and South Plainfield Borough) to appoint one alternate member for the Peter J. Barnes III Wildlife Preservation Commission. The alternate serves a five-year term, may participate in commission discussions, but can only vote if a regular member is absent or disabled. The bill does not change the commission's structure or duties, only adding this procedural requirement for continuity. (Procedural bill; summary limited to 2 sentences as required.)

Issues: ✓ Environment

Sub-Topics: Wildlife Conservation

Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Dec 2024

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Dec 5, 2024 Last action Mar 24, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduced Version → Reprint SEG 2/10/25 1R · 5 edits

MODERATE

The Senate Economic Growth Committee reported S3918 with amendments on February 10, 2025. The substantive changes clarify how alternate members of the Peter J. Barnes III Wildlife Preservation Commission may participate and vote, and add a new provision defining how alternates count toward the commission's total authorized membership for quorum purposes when a regular member is absent.

REQUIREMENT

Alternate members' participation rights were broadened: they may now participate in 'the commission's proceedings, and in any discussions related thereto' rather than only 'discussions of the proceedings.'

ELIGIBILITY

An alternate member may vote only in the absence or disability of a regular member 'who has been appointed by the same municipal appointing authority,' rather than any absent voting member. This restricts alternates to substituting for their specific counterpart.

DEFINITION

A new sentence was added to subsection g defining that 'total authorized membership' includes regular members, and that when a regular member is absent or disabled, the alternate authorized to vote in their stead counts within the total authorized membership for the duration of that absence. This clarifies quorum calculations.

TECHNICAL

Minor clarifying language change in subsection h(2): 'shall forfeit office or employment' changed to 'shall forfeit the person's office or employment.'

The bill statement paragraph at the end of the introduced version was removed in the reprint.

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Committee

Feb 10, 2025

Upper · Passed

Reported out of Senate Committee with Amendments, 2nd Reading

upper

Dec 5, 2024

Introduced

Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Economic Growth Committee

upper

1 primary · 2 co-sponsors