34:1A-51 New Jersey Tourism Policy Council.

7. a. There is created in the division the New Jersey Tourism Policy Council which shall consist of 23 members:

(1) Two members of the Senate, who shall serve as ex officio, non-voting members to be appointed by the President thereof, not more than one of whom shall be of the same political party, and two members of the General Assembly, who shall serve as ex officio, non-voting members to be appointed by the Speaker thereof, not more than one of whom shall be of the same political party;

(2) Nine public members, who shall be residents of this State, not more than five of whom shall be of the same political party, who shall be appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate, who shall include persons who by experience or training represent the areas of the tourist industry as follows:

One representative of the lodging sector;

One representative of the food service sector;

One representative of the eco-tourism sector;

One representative of the cultural arts sector;

One representative of the convention and visitor bureaus or tour/receptive services sectors;

One representative of the entertainment or amusement sector;

One representative of the outdoor recreation sector;

One representative of the historical community; and

One representative of a Statewide travel and tourism association representing the various sectors of the tourism industry;

(3) The Secretary of State, who shall serve ex officio as a voting member and chair of the council;

(4) Six elected local officials, not more than three of whom shall be of the same political party, who shall be appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate, and of whom one shall be a resident of Cape May or Cumberland County, one shall be a resident of Atlantic County, one shall be a resident of Burlington, Camden, Gloucester, Mercer or Salem County, one shall be a resident of Monmouth or Ocean County, one shall be a resident of Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Middlesex, Passaic or Union County, and one shall be a resident of Hunterdon, Morris, Somerset, Sussex or Warren County; and

(5) The executive directors of the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority, the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority, and the Atlantic City Convention Center Authority, or their designees, all of whom shall serve ex officio and as voting members. b. (1) The public members of the council shall be appointed to three-year terms, except that public members initially appointed on or after the effective date of P.L.2005, c.378, representing the lodging, food service, and eco-tourism sectors shall be appointed to a two-year term, and public members representing the cultural arts and outdoor recreation sectors and the historical community shall be appointed to a one-year term. Public members shall serve until their successors are appointed and qualified. Vacancies occurring other than by expiration of term shall be filled for the unexpired term only.

(2) The term of appointment, as a member of the council, of an elected local official appointed pursuant to paragraph 4 of subsection a. of this section shall be the same as the term of office, as an elected local official, that the person is serving at the time of such appointment. In the event that a member of the council appointed pursuant to that paragraph no longer serves as an elected local official, the term of appointment for that member shall cease and the Governor may, with the advice and consent of the Senate, appoint a replacement to serve for the remainder of the unexpired term. In the case of a person who, at the time of such appointment, serves as an elected local official in two different offices, the term of the person's appointment to the council shall be measured by the longer of the terms as an elected local official. Nothing in this paragraph shall preclude the reappointment as an elected local official member of the council of a person whose term of office as such elected local official has expired, but who has been reelected to succeed himself in the same local office.

c. (Deleted by amendment, P.L.1991, c.280).

d. (Deleted by amendment, P.L.1991, c.280).

e. The members of the council shall serve without compensation but shall be entitled to reimbursement for actual and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties as members.

f. (Deleted by amendment, P.L.1991, c.280).

g. The council shall meet at the call of the chair and not less than once every month.

h. Whenever, in any law, rule, regulation, order, contract, document, judicial or administrative proceeding or otherwise, reference is made to the New Jersey Tourism Advisory Council, the same shall mean and refer to the New Jersey Tourism Policy Council in the Division of Travel and Tourism.

L.1977, c.225, s.7; amended 1991, c.280, ss.2,3; 1997, c.10; 2001, c.255; 2005, c.378, s.4; 2007, c.253, s.5.