52:9X-4 Membership.

4. a. The commission shall consist of the following 17 members:

(1) four public members to be appointed by the Governor, with each public member having a background in a field of science or technology or in a business related to science and technology;

(2) two public members to be appointed by the Governor upon the recommendation of the President of the Senate and two public members to be appointed by the Governor upon the recommendation of the Speaker of the General Assembly, with each public member having a background in a field of science or technology, or in a business related to science and technology;

(3) two members of the Senate, who shall not be of the same political party, to be appointed by the President of the Senate and who shall serve as ex officio, non-voting members, and two members of the General Assembly, who shall not be of the same political party, to be appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly and who shall as serve ex officio, non-voting members;

(4) the Secretary of Higher Education, ex officio, or the secretary's duly authorized representative;

(5) the Commissioner of Education, ex officio, or the commissioner's duly authorized representative;

(6) the Executive Director of the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, ex officio, or the executive director's duly authorized representative; and

(7) two presidents from the State's public and private research institutions of higher education, who shall be appointed annually by the Governor and who shall serve as ex officio, non-voting members.

b. In the selection of public members, a strong effort shall be made to appoint women and minorities to the commission. The commission members who are not members of the Senate or the General Assembly and who are not presidents from the State's public and private research institutions of higher education shall have a right to vote on the various matters considered by the commission.

c. The terms of office of any member of the commission that served prior to the effective date of P.L.2018, c.91 shall expire on June 30, 2018.

L.1985, c.102, s.4; amended 1986, c.49; 2018, c.91, s.5.