10. a. There is established in the department an Advisory Council on Personal Attendant Services which consists of 19 members as follows: the Director of the Division of Child Protection and Permanency in the Department of Children and Families, the Director of the Division of Aging Services, the Director of the Division of Developmental Disabilities, and the Director of the Division of Medical Assistance and Health Services in the Department of Human Services, the Director of the Division of Veterans’ Services in the Department of Military and Veterans’ Affairs, and the Director of the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Services in the Department of Labor and Workforce Development, or their designees, who shall serve ex officio, and 13 members appointed by the commissioner who are residents of this State, one of whom is a member of the New Jersey Association of County Representatives of Disabled Persons, four of whom represent providers of personal attendant services, five of whom represent consumers of personal attendant services and three of whom represent advocacy groups or agencies for the physically disabled.

A vacancy in the membership of the council shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment.

The members of the council shall serve without compensation, but the department shall reimburse the members for the reasonable expenses incurred in the performance of their duties.

b. The council shall hold an organizational meeting within 30 days after the appointment of its members. The members of the council shall elect from among them a chairperson, who shall be the chief executive officer of the council and the members shall elect a secretary, who need not be a member of the council.

c. The council shall:

(1) Advise the commissioner on matters pertaining to personal attendant services and the development of the personal attendant program, upon the request of the commissioner;

(2) Review the rules and regulations promulgated for the implementation of the personal attendant program and make recommendations to the commissioner, as appropriate;

(3) Evaluate the effectiveness of the personal attendant program in achieving the purposes of this act; and

(4) Assess the Statewide need for personal attendant services and the projected cost for providing these services Statewide.

L.1985, c.307, s.10; amended 1985, c.524, s.7; 2006, c.47, s.160; 2012, c.16, s.116; 2012, c.17, s.395.