27:25A-6. Transfer of powers to authority

6. a. Until the transfer date, the authority shall not exercise any powers, rights or duties conferred by this act in any way which will interfere with the powers, rights and duties of each original authority. The authority and each original authority are directed to cooperate with each other so that the transfer date shall occur as soon as practicable after the effective date of this act, and each original authority shall make available information concerning its property and assets, outstanding bonds and other debts, obligations, liabilities and contracts, its operations and finances as the authority may require to provide for the refunding of any outstanding bonds or notes of the original authorities and the efficient exercise by the authority of all powers, rights and duties conferred upon it by this act from and after the transfer date.

b. On the transfer date of each original authority:

(1) The South Jersey Transportation Authority shall become the successor to the original authority and the powers, rights and duties of the original authority to the extent provided by this act shall then and thereafter be vested in and shall be exercised by the authority.

(2) The terms of office of the members of each original authority shall terminate, the officers having custody of the funds of the original authority shall deliver those funds into the custody of the chief financial officer of the authority, the property and assets of the original authority shall, without further act or deed, become the property and assets of the authority, and the original authority shall cease to exist.

(3) The officers and employees of the original authority are transferred to the authority and shall become employees of the authority until determined otherwise by the authority.

Nothing in this act shall be construed to deprive any officers or employees of their rights, privileges, obligations or status with respect to any pension or retirement system. The employees shall retain all of their rights and benefits under existing collective bargaining agreements or contracts until such time as new or revised agreements or contracts are agreed to or these agreements or contracts shall expire. All existing bargaining agents shall be retained to act on behalf of those employees until such time as the employees shall, pursuant to law, elect to change those agents.

Nothing in this act shall affect the civil service status, if any, of those officers or employees. The provisions of this paragraph shall not apply to any officer or employee appointed or employed, or any collective bargaining agreement entered into, on or after the date of enactment of this act. Nothing in this act shall be construed as providing for the permanent tenure of officers or employees who were granted this tenure by the original authorities and no officer or employee transferred pursuant to this section shall be deemed to receive or enjoy permanent tenure with the authority by virtue of any action of the original authorities, nor shall the authority grant this tenure to any officer or employee of the authority on or after the transfer date.

(4) The persons appointed and serving as executive directors of each original authority on the transfer date shall be appointed to positions in the authority without diminution in compensation and shall serve in those positions during the valid continuance or duration of their contracts of employment with the original authority, except that the executive directors may resign or otherwise cease to serve or be removed from office in accordance with the valid terms and conditions of their contracts.

(5) All debts, liabilities, obligations and contracts of the original authorities, except to the extent specifically provided or established to the contrary in this act, are imposed upon the authority, and all creditors of the original authorities and persons having claims against or contracts with the original authorities of any kind or character may enforce those debts, claims and contracts against the authority as successor to the original authorities in the same manner as they might have had against the original authorities, and the rights and remedies of those holders, creditors and persons having claims against or contracts with the original authorities shall not be limited or restricted in any manner by this act. Notwithstanding the provisions of any law to the contrary, the right, title and interest of Atlantic County in any property of the Atlantic County Transportation Authority or the authority, shall be extinguished on the transfer date.

(6) In continuing the functions, contracts, obligations and duties of the original authorities, the authority is authorized to act in its own name or in the name of the original authorities as may be convenient or advisable under the circumstances from time to time.

(7) Any references to the original authorities in any other law or regulation shall be deemed to refer and apply to the authority.

(8) All rules and regulations of the original authorities shall continue in effect as the rules and regulations of the authority until amended, supplemented or rescinded by the authority in accordance with law.

(9) All operations of an original authority shall continue as operations of the authority until altered by the authority as may be permitted pursuant to this act.

(10) The powers vested in the authority by this act shall be construed as being in addition to and not in diminution of, the powers heretofore vested by law in an original authority to the extent not otherwise altered or provided for in this act.

c. In the event that the transfer date shall not be the same for the New Jersey Expressway Authority and the Atlantic County Transportation Authority, the provisions of this section shall apply to the New Jersey Expressway Authority or the Atlantic County Transportation Authority on their respective transfer dates, as the case may be.

d. As soon as practicable after the transfer date or dates, as the case may be, the authority shall notify the Governor, the presiding officers of each house of the Legislature, and the director of the Federal Aviation Administration Technical Center that the transfer has occurred, the date of the transfer and any other information concerning the transfer the authority deems appropriate.

L.1991,c.252,s.6.