1. a. There is created, in the New Jersey State Employment and Training Commission, a council which shall be known as the Council on Gender Parity in Labor and Education.

b. The council shall consist of 16 members who are individuals with experience in the fields of labor, education, training, or gender equity. The 16 members shall include: six members appointed by the Director of the Division on Women; six members appointed by the Executive Director of the State Employment and Training Commission; and four members who shall serve ex officio, one of whom shall be appointed by the Commissioner of Children and Families, one by the Commissioner of Education, one by the Commissioner of Human Services, and one by the Executive Director of the Commission on Higher Education. Not more than half of the members appointed by the Director of the Division on Women and not more than half of the members appointed by the Executive Director of the State Employment and Training Commission shall be of the same political party. The members appointed by the director and executive director shall serve for terms of three years, except that of the eight members first appointed by the director and the executive director, four shall be appointed for three years, two shall be appointed for two years, and two shall be appointed for one year. Each member shall hold office for the term of appointment and until his successor is appointed and qualified. A member appointed to fill a vacancy occurring in the membership of the council for any reason other than the expiration of the term shall have a term of appointment for the unexpired term only. Vacancies shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment. A member may be appointed for any number of successive terms. Any member appointed by the director or the executive director may be removed from the council by the director or the executive director, as the case may be, for cause, after a hearing and may be suspended by the director or the executive director pending the completion of the hearing.

c. Members of the council shall serve without compensation, but may be reimbursed for necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties as members. Action may be taken and motions and resolutions may be adopted by the council at a council meeting by an affirmative vote of a majority of the members. The council shall elect from its members a chairperson who shall be a nongovernmental member of the council. Advanced notification for, and copies of the minutes of, each meeting of the council shall be filed with the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the General Assembly.

L.1999, c.223, s.1; amended 2005, c.354, s.19; 2012, c.16, s.129.