1. a. There is hereby created in but not of the Department of Environmental Protection the New Jersey Commission on Environmental Education. The commission shall consist of 23 public members, the commissioners, or their designees, of the Department of Education, the Department of Environmental Protection, and the Department of Health, the Attorney General or a designee with responsibility in the area of environmental law, the Executive Director of the Commission on Higher Education, and a designee of the Governor. The public members shall consist of two college professors in the fields of environmental education or environmental science; one private school teacher and two public school teachers, one of whom is selected by the New Jersey Education Association, including one teacher from kindergarten to third grade, one from fourth to sixth grade, and one from seventh to twelfth grade; one school administrator; one representative of the New Jersey Principals and Supervisors Association; one local school board representative selected by the New Jersey School Boards Association; one member of an interfaith religious organization; one representative from labor; one representative from industry; two representatives from environmental or public interest organizations; two representatives from cultural institutions such as museums and nature centers; two representatives from the field of environmental health; two non-academic science professionals; two representatives from the agricultural community; one student representative from a student environmental organization, such as Kids Against Pollution; and one representative from the South Jersey Environmental Information Center.

b. The public members shall be appointed by the Governor for terms of three years, except that the student representative shall be appointed for a term of one year, and in the first year the other public members shall be appointed to staggered terms as follows:

(1) Seven shall be appointed to terms of one year;

(2) Seven shall be appointed to terms of two years; and

(3) Seven shall be appointed to terms of three years.

c. The commission shall meet, at a minimum, four times a year.

d. The commission shall elect a chairperson and a vice-chairperson from among its membership. The term of office for each position shall be two years.

e. The commission may hire staff as necessary within the limits of funding as provided by section 5 of P.L.1995, c.409 (C. 18A:6-91.5).

L.1995,c.409,s.1.