In presenting the annual budget message the Governor shall not request or recommend for appropriation any amount in excess of the maximum appropriations permitted pursuant to this act for the fiscal year for which the budget message is presented.

L.1990,c.94,s.7.

52:9H 34 Findings, declarations.

1. The Legislature finds and declares that:
a. The economic well being of the citizens of the State of New Jersey is directly affected by the actions of government at all levels;
b. The quality of public policy and the benefits it provides to the citizens will be enhanced significantly through the availability of timely, objective analyses of the condition of the economy;
c. The formulation of public policy will benefit from a fuller understanding of the structure of the State’s economy and its competitive position relative to other states and regions;
d. Fiscal policy is highly sensitive to economic conditions and will be enhanced through improved economic analyses and forecasts;
e. The functioning of the Legislative and the Executive branches of government will be enhanced by the existence of an independent advisory council composed of knowledgeable experts given the resources necessary to provide sophisticated, timely, and objective economic analyses;
f. An advisory council dealing with economic affairs will contribute to improving the quality of decision making in both the public and private sectors, with long term benefits for all of the State’s citizens; and
g. A permanent advisory council composed of economic experts reporting directly and independently to the Legislature, the Executive Branch of government and the public, will best provide the objective and timely analyses needed to assure that public policy yields the optimum economic benefits for all of the State’s citizens.

L.1993, c.149, s.1.

52:9H 35 New Jersey Council of Economic Advisors established.

2. a. There is established in, but not of, the Department of Commerce and Economic Development, a council to be known as the “New Jersey Council of Economic Advisors.” The council shall consist of five members. One member shall be appointed by the Governor; one member shall be appointed by the President of the Senate; one member shall be appointed by the Minority Leader of the Senate; one member shall be appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly; and one member shall be appointed by the Minority Leader of the General Assembly.
b. In appointing the council members, the appointing authorities shall select individuals who have knowledge, expertise, and practical experience in economic analyses.
c. Members of the council shall serve for a term of three years. Each member shall hold office for the term of his appointment and until his successor shall have been appointed. Any vacancy during a term shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment but only for the balance of the unexpired term. A member’s term shall be coterminous with that of the appointing authority, for a period not to exceed three years, except that members shall be eligible for reappointment to successive terms. Any member of the council may be removed for cause by the appointing authority. The members shall serve without compensation but shall be reimbursed for necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties, subject to the availability of funds therefor.
d. The council shall organize as soon as may be practicable following the appointment of its members. The member appointed by the Governor shall serve as chairperson of the council, except that in the absence of the Governor’s appointee the member of the council with the most seniority shall serve as acting chairperson. The council may formulate and adopt rules of procedure and operation in furtherance of its responsibilities. The council may meet and hold hearings at such places and times as it shall designate.
e. The council shall select and fix the compensation of a secretary, who shall serve as the director. The secretary shall not be a member of the council. The secretary’s term of appointment shall be for a period of three years, except that the council may, by a simple majority, terminate that appointment prior to the conclusion of the three year period. The council may also employ and fix the compensation of such other expert and clerical staff as it may deem appropriate, within the limits of funds appropriated or otherwise made available to it.

L.1993, c.149, s.2.

52:9H 36 Council’s duties.

3. The council shall:
a. Submit to the Governor and the Legislature a comprehensive annual report analyzing current economic conditions and forecasting future economic trends, which report shall be submitted not later than January 31 of each year.
b. Submit to the Governor and the Legislature and any executive department or agency of State government such special and supplementary reports as it deems appropriate in accordance with the purposes of this act.
c. Assist the members of the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee and the Assembly Appropriations Committee, or their successors, during their appropriations hearings and deliberations, by providing to these committees, by May 15 of each year, forecasts of economic conditions for the coming fiscal year.
d. Assist the Governor in the preparation of his annual budget message, by providing the Governor, by November 15 of each year, forecasts of economic conditions for the coming fiscal year.
e. Assist the State Revenue Forecasting Advisory Commission by providing it timely analyses of current and anticipated future economic conditions.
f. Advise the Governor and the Legislature and any executive department or agency of the State government on issues involving the use of economic data and explain the methodologies utilized to analyze this data.
g. Make available for public dissemination all official copies of reports, with supporting analyses and data, following their submission to the Governor, or the Legislature or its committees.

L.1993, c.149,s.3.

52:9H 37 Powers of council.

4. a. The council shall be entitled to call to its assistance and avail itself of the services of employees of any State, county or municipal department, board, bureau, commission or agency as it may require and as may be available to it for its purposes, and to employ counsel and stenographic and clerical assistants and incur traveling and other miscellaneous expenses as it may deem necessary, in order to perform its duties, and as may be within the limits of funds appropriated or otherwise made available to it for its purposes.
b. The council may make use of existing studies, surveys, data and other materials in the possession of any State agency, other than the records and files of the Director of the Division of Taxation that are confidential under R.S.54:50 8, and such material in the possession of any county, municipality or political subdivision of the State. Each State agency, county, municipality and political subdivision of the State shall make any information or materials available to the council as it may require to perform its responsibilities under this act.
c. The Attorney General shall provide legal assistance to the council.

L.1993, c.149,s.4.