8. a. There is established the Statewide Consumer Advisory Council on Personal Assistance Services in the Division of Disability Services in the department, which shall consist of 19 members, at least 75 percent of whom are consumers of personal assistance services.

(1) The members of the council shall include the Commissioner of Human Services, or his designee, who shall serve ex officio; and 18 public members appointed by the commissioner as follows:

(a) five members who are residents of Central New Jersey, which consists of Burlington, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Somerset, and Warren counties;

(b) five members who are residents of Northern New Jersey, which consists of Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Morris, Passaic, Sussex, and Union counties;

(c) five members who are residents of Southern New Jersey, which consists of Atlantic, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, Ocean, and Salem counties;

(d) one member who represents a fiscal intermediary service organization;

(e) one member who represents a training vendor; and

(f) one member who represents a vendor.

(2) Vacancies in the membership of the advisory council shall be filled in the same manner provided for the original appointments. The members of the advisory council shall serve without compensation but shall be reimbursed for the reasonable expenses necessarily incurred in the performance of their duties.

(3) The public members of the council shall serve for a term of three years from the date of their appointment, and until their successors are appointed; except that, of the members serving on the council on the date of enactment of P.L.2009, c.160, the commissioner shall designate six members to serve for a term of one year, six members to serve for a term of two years, and six members to serve for a term of three years.

(4) A member of the council shall be eligible for reappointment.

b. The advisory council shall organize no later than 30 days after the appointment of its members and shall select a chairperson and vice chairperson from among its members and a secretary who need not be a member of the advisory council.

c. The department shall provide such administrative and professional support as needed to carry out its work.

d. It shall be the responsibility of the advisory council to:

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

(2) Review the rules adopted for the personal assistance services program and make recommendations to the commissioner thereon;

(3) Evaluate the effectiveness of the personal assistance services program in meeting its objectives and share that evaluation with the commissioner; and

(4) Actively explore innovative service delivery models to enhance the consumer-driven nature of the personal assistance services program.

L.1987, c.350, s.8; amended 1993, c.215, s.8; 1999, c.91, s.8; 2009, c.160, s.8.