New Jersey § 52:13d-22

§ 52:13d-22.

(a) There is established a Joint Legislative Committee on Ethical Standards in the

Legislative Branch of State Government. (b) Commencing on the 30th day after the effective date of P.L.2008, c. 16, 1 the joint committee shall be composed of eight members of the public as follows:

two appointed by the President of the Senate, two appointed by the Speaker of the

General Assembly, two appointed by the Minority Leader of the Senate, and two appointed

by the Minority Leader of the General Assembly. No member of the Senate or of the General Assembly shall be eligible to serve as

a member of the joint committee. No more than two members of the joint committee may be former members of the Senate

or of the General Assembly. The members shall be full-time residents of the State and available throughout the

year to attend, in person, the meetings of the joint committee. No member shall be a lobbyist or governmental affairs agent as defined by the “Legislative

and Governmental Process Activities Disclosure Act,” P.L.1971, c. 183 ( C.52:13C-18 et seq. ), a full-time State employee or an officer or director of any entity which is required

to file a statement with the Election Law Enforcement Commission, and no former lobbyist

or governmental affairs agent shall be eligible to serve as a member for one year

following the cessation of all activity by that person as a governmental affairs agent

or lobbyist. Notwithstanding the above restrictions, among the members appointed pursuant to this

section, one may be a full-time faculty member of a State public institution of higher

education having a doctoral degree and expertise in the areas of ethics, philosophy

and government with extensive experience in State legislative organization and procedures. No person who served as a member of the joint committee at any time prior to the

30th day after the effective date of P.L.2008, c. 16 shall be eligible to serve as a member of the joint committee as constituted under this subsection. The members shall serve for terms of two years. The terms of the members shall run from the second Tuesday in January of an even-numbered

year to the second Tuesday in January of the next even-numbered year, regardless of

the original date of appointment. Vacancies in the membership of the joint committee shall be filled in the same manner

as the original appointments, but for the unexpired term only. The members of the joint committee shall serve without compensation, but shall be

entitled to be reimbursed for all actual and necessary expenses incurred in the performance

of their duties. (c) Commencing on the 30th day after the effective date of P.L.2008, c. 16, the chairman of the joint committee shall be selected jointly by the President of

the Senate and the Speaker of the General Assembly, when the President and Speaker

are members of the same political party, from among the members of the joint committee . The first chairman to be selected jointly shall be a full-time faculty member of

a State public institution of higher education having a doctoral degree and expertise

in the areas of ethics, philosophy and government with extensive experience in State

legislative organization and procedures. The vice chairman shall be selected jointly by the Minority Leader of the Senate and

the Minority Leader of the General Assembly, when the Minority Leaders are members

of the same political party, from among the members of the joint committee. When the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the General Assembly are not

members of the same political party, the President and Speaker shall alternate in

selecting the chairman of the joint committee with the President of the Senate selecting

the chairman first, and then, at the next organization of the joint committee if the

President and the Speaker are not members of the same political party, the Speaker

of the General Assembly selecting the chairman. When the Minority Leader of the Senate and the Minority Leader of the General Assembly

are not members of the same political party, the Minority Leaders shall alternate

in selecting the vice chairman of the joint committee with the Minority Leader of

the Senate selecting the vice chairman first, and then, at the next organization of

the joint committee if the Minority Leaders are not members of the same political

party, the Minority Leader of the General Assembly selecting the vice chairman. The alternating method of selection shall continue regardless of intervening periods

when joint selections are made. The chairman and the vice chairman shall not be members of the same political party. (d) The Legislative Counsel in the Office of Legislative Services shall act as legal

adviser to the joint committee. The Executive Director of the Office of Legislative Services shall appoint another

attorney in the Office of Legislative Services to serve as Ethics Counsel to the individual

members of the Legislature and officers and employees in the Legislative Branch. The Ethics Counsel shall provide informal ethics advice to individual members of

the Legislature and officers and employees in the Legislative Branch upon request,

when the request is one fully answered by the New Jersey Conflicts of Interest Law

or the Legislative Code of Ethics or is on a subject previously determined by the

Joint Committee. Informal ethics advice from the Ethics Counsel to a member of the Legislature or

an officer or employee in the Legislative Branch shall be confidential and subject

to the attorney-client privilege. The Ethics Counsel may also assist members of the Legislature and officers or employees

in the Legislative Branch in requesting formal advisory opinions from the joint committee

on novel subject matters. The Legislative Counsel shall, upon request, assist and advise the joint committee

in the rendering of formal advisory opinions by the joint committee, in the approval

and review of codes of ethics adopted by State agencies in the Legislative Branch,

and in the recommendation of revisions in codes of ethics or legislation relating

to the conduct of members of the Legislature or State officers and employees in the

Legislative Branch. (e) The joint committee may, within the limits of funds appropriated or otherwise

available to it for the purpose, employ other professional, technical, clerical or

other assistants, excepting legal counsel, and incur expenses as may be necessary

to the performance of its duties. (f) The joint committee shall have all the powers granted pursuant to chapter 13 of

Title 52 of the Revised Statutes. 2 (g) The joint committee is authorized to render formal advisory opinions as to whether

a given set of facts and circumstances would, in its opinion, constitute a violation

of the provisions of this act, of a code of ethics promulgated pursuant to the provisions

of this act or of any rule of either or both Houses which gives the joint committee

jurisdiction and the authority to investigate a matter. (h)(1) The joint committee shall have jurisdiction to initiate, receive, hear and

review complaints regarding violations of the provisions of this act or of a code

of ethics promulgated pursuant to the provisions of this act. It shall further have such jurisdiction as to enforcement of the rules of either

or both Houses of the Legislature governing the conduct of the members or employees

thereof as those rules may confer upon the joint committee. A complaint regarding a violation of a code of ethics promulgated pursuant to the

provisions of this act may be referred by the joint committee for disposition in accordance

with subsection 12(d) of this act. (2) The joint committee shall not accept a complaint against a member of the Legislature

submitted within 90 days of a primary or general election in which the member is a

candidate. An attempt to file a complaint during this period shall toll any statute of limitations. This paragraph shall not bar the joint committee from initiating a complaint during

this period. A complaint that is filed within seven days following a primary or general election

shall be considered by the joint committee in an expedited manner that results in

a final determination by the end of the annual session of the Legislature. (3) The joint committee, when reviewing a complaint, shall have the authority to require

a member of the Legislature who is the subject of a complaint to submit detailed financial

disclosures containing information that is in addition to the information required

to be disclosed by a law, rule or code of ethics. Such additional information shall remain confidential, unless the joint committee,

by a vote of at least three-fourths of the total membership, directs that the information

be made public. (4) The joint committee shall inform a complainant of the time, date, and location

of any meeting at which the joint committee will discuss or make a determination on

any aspect of the complaint. (i) Any State officer or employee or special State officer or employee in the Legislative

Branch found guilty by the joint committee of violating any provisions of this act,

of a code of ethics promulgated pursuant to the provisions of this act or of any rule

of either or both Houses which gives the joint committee jurisdiction and the authority

to investigate a matter shall be fined not less than $500.00 nor more than $10,000,

which penalty may be collected in a summary proceeding pursuant to the “Penalty Enforcement

Law of 1999,” P.L.1999, c. 274 ( C.2A:58-10 et seq. ), and may be reprimanded and ordered to pay restitution where appropriate and may

be suspended from office or employment by order of the joint committee for a period

not in excess of one year. If the joint committee finds that the conduct of the officer or employee constitutes

a willful and continuous disregard of the provisions of this act, of a code of ethics

promulgated pursuant to the provisions of this act or of any rule of either or both

Houses which gives the joint committee jurisdiction and the authority to investigate

a matter, it may order that person removed from office or employment and may further

bar the person from holding any public office or employment in this State in any capacity

whatsoever for a period not exceeding five years from the date on which the person

was found guilty by the joint committee. (j) A member of the Legislature who shall be found guilty by the joint committee of

violating the provisions of this act, of a code of ethics promulgated pursuant to

the provisions of this act or of any rule of either or both Houses which gives the

joint committee jurisdiction and the authority to investigate a matter shall be fined

not less than $500.00 nor more than $10,000, which penalty may be collected in a summary

proceeding pursuant to the “Penalty Enforcement Law of 1999,” P.L.1999, c. 274 ( C.2A:58-10 et seq. ), and shall be subject to such further action as may be determined by the House of

which the person is a member. In such cases the joint committee shall report its findings to the appropriate House

and shall recommend to the House such further action as the joint committee deems

appropriate, but it shall be the sole responsibility of the House to determine what

further action, if any, shall be taken against such member. 1

L.2008, c. 16, eff. April 21, 2008. 2

N.J.S.A. § 52:13-1 et seq.