A 5067 New Jersey General Assembly · 2024-2025 Regular Session

Requires appointment of alternate members of Peter J. Barnes III Wildlife Preservation Commission.

This bill requires the municipalities of Edison, Metuchen, and South Plainfield - each of which appoints members to the Peter J. Barnes III Wildlife Preservation Commission - to appoint one alternate member per municipality. The alternate serves a five-year term and may participate in commission meetings but can only vote when a regular member is absent or unable to serve. The bill does not alter the commission’s structure, duties, or membership size, but ensures continuity by mandating alternates for regular appointments. This applies specifically to the commission overseeing wildlife preservation in the designated area of Middlesex County.

Issues: ✓ Environment

Sub-Topics: Wildlife Conservation

Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Dec 2024

Committee Review

Feb 2025

General Assembly Passage

Mar 2025

Senate Passage

Mar 2025

Signed into Law

Apr 2025

Introduced Dec 9, 2024 Signed Apr 22, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

Reprint AEN 1/27/25 1R → Reprint SEG 2/10/25 2R · 4 edits

MODERATE

The bill moved from the Assembly Environment, Natural Resources, and Solid Waste Committee to the Senate Economic Growth Committee, where it received substantive amendments clarifying how alternate members count toward quorum and voting thresholds. A new definition of 'total authorized membership' was added to subsection g, specifying that alternates fill the slot of absent regular members for quorum purposes. The term 'voting member' was replaced with 'regular member' in subsection b to align terminology.

DEFINITION

A new sentence was added to subsection g defining 'total authorized membership' as including only regular members appointed under subsection a, with alternates counted in place of absent or disabled regular members for the duration of that absence. This clarifies how quorum is calculated when alternates are voting.

REQUIREMENT

In subsection b, the term 'voting member' was replaced with 'regular member' in two places describing when an alternate may vote and when a commission vote shall not be delayed. This aligns the terminology with the new quorum definition and removes ambiguity about whether alternates themselves are 'voting members.'

SCOPE

The bill's legislative path changed from the Assembly (First Reprint, January 27, 2025) to the Senate (Second Reprint, February 10, 2025), with Senator Diegnan added as sponsor and Senators Johnson and Timberlake added as co-sponsors.

TECHNICAL

Minor grammatical addition of 'the person's' before 'office or employment' in subsection h(2) for clarity.

Floor votes · Senate Mar 24, 2025 · General Assembly Jan 30, 2025

How they voted

39–0

Passed · 1 other

Total votes 40

Mar 24, 2025

D Democratic25

24 Yea 1

96% Yea

R Republican15

15 Yea

100% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Apr 22, 2025

Signed into law

Approved P.L.2025, c.48.

executive

Mar 24, 2025

Lower · Passed

Passed Assembly (Passed Both Houses) (76-0-0)

lower

Mar 24, 2025

Upper · Passed

Passed Senate (39-0)

upper

Feb 10, 2025

Upper · Passed

Reported out of Senate Committee with Amendments, 2nd Reading

upper

Feb 3, 2025

Committee

Received in the Senate, Referred to Senate Economic Growth Committee

upper

Jan 30, 2025

Lower · Passed

Passed Assembly (75-0-0)

lower

Jan 27, 2025

Lower · Passed

Reported out of Assembly Committee with Amendments, 2nd Reading

lower

Dec 9, 2024

Introduced

Introduced in the Assembly, Referred to Assembly Environment, Natural Resources, and Solid Waste Committee

lower

4 primary · 2 co-sponsors