a. The Supreme Court may appoint a Municipal Court Administrator Certification Board. That board shall:

(1) Design examinations for certification of municipal court administrators;

(2) Establish courses satisfying training requirements in subjects closely related to the duties of a municipal court administrator; and

(3) Establish procedures and fees for certification.

b. A person shall be certified as a Municipal Court Administrator if the person:

(1) Is a high school graduate;

(2) Has a combination of two years of either full-time government employment performing duties related to those of a municipal court administrator, or higher education;

(3) Completes the training required by the board;

(4) Passes the examination held by the board, and

(5) Pays any required certification fee.

c. A person who is a municipal court administrator and has been serving in that position for five years on the effective date of this act shall be certified as a municipal court administrator if the person passes the examination held by the board and pays any required certification fee. A person who is a municipal court administrator and has been serving in that position for three years on the effective date of this act shall be certified as a municipal court administrator if the person completes the training required by the board, passes the examination held by the board and pays any required certification fee.

d. Starting on the fifth anniversary of the effective date of P.L.2006, c.20, no person shall be appointed as a municipal court administrator unless that person holds a municipal court administrator certificate issued by the Supreme Court. Municipal court administrators hired in the interim between that effective date and the fifth anniversary following that effective date shall have five years from the date of hire to obtain certification.

e. Starting on the fifth anniversary of the effective date of P.L.2006, c.20, after a vacancy in the office of municipal court administrator, the governing body may appoint a person who does not hold a municipal court administrator certificate to serve as a municipal court administrator, on an interim basis, for a period not to exceed one year commencing on the date of the appointment. Any person so appointed may, in consultation with the judge of the municipal court, be reappointed as a municipal court administrator, on an interim basis, for two subsequent one-year terms. The municipal court administrator appointed on an interim basis may be reappointed for a fourth, and, if necessary, a fifth additional one-year term, provided the municipal court administrator is currently enrolled in the certification program and needs additional time to complete that program.

(1) Time served as an interim municipal court administrator may be credited toward the experience authorized as a substitute for the college education requirement under paragraph (2) of subsection b. of this section.

(2) Time served as a municipal court administrator, on an interim basis, may not be credited as time served as a municipal court administrator for the purpose of acquiring tenure under section 1 of P.L.1953, c. 168 (C. 2A:8-13.1) and section 1 of P.L.1975, c.39 (C. 2A:8-13.3).

f. Notwithstanding the provisions of P.L.2006, c.20, a person who is serving as a municipal court administrator on the effective date of P.L.2006, c.20, may continue to hold the position of municipal court administrator in that municipality, provided the person satisfactorily completes, within five years of the effective date of P.L.2006, c.20, the training required by this section and thereafter satisfies the continuing education required of certified municipal court administrators. If a municipal court administrator qualified under this subsection transfers to a position as a municipal court administrator in another municipality, that administrator will be treated as a newly-hired administrator for purposes of this section.

g. The Supreme Court of New Jersey may adopt rules to implement the purposes of P.L.2006, c.20.

h. A municipal court administrator certificate may be revoked or suspended by the board for dishonest practices or failure to perform, or neglect of, duties of a municipal court administrator.

L.1993, c.119, s.1; amended 2006, 20, s.1.