27:25-4.2 Passenger Advisory Committees.

3. a. (1) There is hereby established the North Jersey Passenger Advisory Committee within the New Jersey Transit Corporation for the purpose of providing advice, input, and guidance to the corporation and the corporation's board of directors from customers of the corporation who reside in North Jersey. The committee shall: provide advice, input, and guidance to the New Jersey Transit Corporation and its board of directors on issues affecting the corporation and customers of the corporation, particularly those issues that affect services provided in the northern part of the State; review proposals to be considered before the corporation's board of directors concerning fare increases, curtailment of services, and expansion of services; and review items listed on the agenda for meetings of the corporation's board of directors that would increase fares, curtail services, or expand services and provide written feedback to the board prior to the board meeting concerning those agenda items.

(2) A member of the committee shall be required to: reside in one of the following counties: Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Ocean, Passaic, Somerset, Sussex, Union, or Warren; and either be a regular corporation motorbus regular route service rider or a regular corporation rail passenger service or light rail service rider; and primarily use corporation motorbus regular route service, rail passenger service, or light rail service in the northern part of the State, or have substantial public transportation experience.

(3) The committee shall consist of 15 voting members, who shall serve a term of four years and without compensation, to be appointed as follows:

three members to be appointed by the board of the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority;

six members to be appointed by the Governor;

one member to be appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly;

one member to be appointed by the President of the Senate;

one member to be appointed by the Minority Leader of the General Assembly;

one member to be appointed by the Minority Leader of the Senate;

one member to be appointed by a nonprofit entity, which shall be selected jointly by the Speaker of the General Assembly and the President of the Senate, with a history of rider advocacy, encouraging smart growth, and advocating for investment in public transportation and transit-oriented development initiatives; and

one member to be appointed by a nonprofit entity, which shall be selected jointly by the Speaker of the General Assembly and the President of the Senate, that serves as a consumer rail passenger organization in the State.

(4) The powers of the committee shall be vested in the members of the committee and a majority of the appointed members shall constitute a quorum at any meeting thereof. Actions may be taken and motions and resolutions adopted by the committee at any meeting thereof by the affirmative vote of a majority of the appointed members. The seat of any member who fails to maintain the requirements established in paragraph (2) of this subsection shall be deemed vacant. A vacancy in the membership of the committee shall not impair the right of a quorum to exercise all rights and perform all duties of the committee. Any vacancy in the membership of the committee shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment and for the remainder of the unexpired term.

(5) The committee shall elect from among its members a chairperson and vice chairperson. The chairperson shall preside over meetings of the committee. In the absence of the chairperson, the vice chairperson shall preside over meetings of the committee. The chairperson shall have the responsibility of scheduling and convening all meetings of the committee. The committee shall designate an individual to serve as secretary to the committee who need not be a member of the committee.

b. (1) There is hereby established the South Jersey Passenger Advisory Committee within the New Jersey Transit Corporation for the purpose of providing advice, input, and guidance to the corporation and the corporation's board of directors from customers of the corporation who reside in South Jersey. The committee shall: provide advice, input, and guidance to the New Jersey Transit Corporation and its board of directors on issues affecting the corporation and customers of the corporation, particularly those issues that affect services provided in the southern part of the State; review proposals to be considered before the corporation's board of directors concerning fare increases, curtailment of services, and expansion of services; and review items listed on the agenda for meetings of the corporation's board of directors that would increase fares, curtail services, or expand services and provide written feedback to the board prior to the board meeting concerning those agenda items.

(2) A member of the committee shall be required to: reside in one of the following counties: Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, Mercer, Ocean, or Salem; and either be a regular corporation motorbus regular route service rider or a regular corporation rail passenger service or light rail service rider; and primarily use corporation motorbus regular route service, rail passenger service, or light rail service in the southern part of the State, or have substantial public transportation experience.

(3) The committee shall consist of 15 voting members, who shall serve a term of four years and without compensation, to be appointed as follows:

two members to be appointed by the board members of the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission from New Jersey;

six members to be appointed by the Governor;

one member to be appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly;

one member to be appointed by the President of the Senate;

one member to be appointed by the Minority Leader of the General Assembly;

one member to be appointed by the Minority Leader of the Senate;

one member to be appointed by the board of the South Jersey Transportation Planning Organization;

one member to be appointed by a nonprofit transportation management association, which shall be selected jointly by the Speaker of the General Assembly and the President of the Senate, that provides transportation-related services in the southern portion of the State; and

one member to be appointed by a nonprofit entity, which shall be selected jointly by the Speaker of the General Assembly and the President of the Senate, that serves as a consumer rail passenger organization in the State.

(4) The powers of the committee shall be vested in the members of the committee and a majority of the appointed members shall constitute a quorum at any meeting thereof. Actions may be taken and motions and resolutions adopted by the committee at any meeting thereof by the affirmative vote of a majority of the appointed members. The seat of any member who fails to maintain the requirements established in paragraph (2) of this subsection shall be deemed vacant. A vacancy in the membership of the committee shall not impair the right of a quorum to exercise all rights and perform all duties of the committee. Any vacancy in the membership of the committee shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment and for the remainder of the unexpired term.

(5) The committee shall elect from among its members a chairperson and vice chairperson. The chairperson shall preside over meetings of the committee. In the absence of the chairperson, the vice chairperson shall preside over meetings of the committee. The chairperson shall have the responsibility of scheduling and convening all meetings of the committee. The committee shall designate an individual to serve as secretary to the committee who need not be a member of the committee.

c. A person serving as a member of the South Jersey Passenger Advisory Committee shall not be eligible to simultaneously serve as a member of the North Jersey Passenger Advisory Committee. A person serving as a member of the North Jersey Passenger Advisory Committee shall not be eligible to simultaneously serve as a member of the South Jersey Passenger Advisory Committee.

d. One public member from the corporation's board of directors shall serve as a liaison to each advisory committee.

L.2018, c.162, s.3.