6. a. Within 30 days of the effective date of this act, the chair of the State committee of the political party the gubernatorial candidate of which received the second largest number of votes cast in the most recent general election for Governor shall submit to the Governor a list of names of six nominees willing to serve on the council. Within 45 days of the effective date, the Governor shall appoint four members of the council, two of whom shall be selected from that list. The terms of the members initially appointed by the Governor shall expire on February 1, 1999. Thereafter, members appointed by the Governor shall serve terms of four years beginning on the expiration date of the prior members’ terms and ending on February 1st four years later. At least 45 days prior to the expiration of the term of the gubernatorial appointees, the chair of the State committee of the political party the gubernatorial candidate of which received the second largest number of votes cast in the most recent general election for Governor shall submit a list of names of six nominees willing to serve on the council. Two of the four members appointed by the Governor shall be selected from that list.

b. Within 45 days of the effective date of this act, the President of the Senate, the Minority Leader of the Senate, the Speaker of the General Assembly and the Minority Leader of the General Assembly shall each appoint one member of the council. The terms of the members initially appointed by these officials shall expire on February 1, 1998. Thereafter, such members shall serve terms of two years beginning on the expiration date of the preceding members’ terms and ending on February 1st two years later.

c. Within 45 days of the effective date of this act, the Chief Justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court shall appoint one member of the council. The term of the member initially appointed by the Chief Justice shall expire on February 1, 2001. Thereafter, the member appointed by the Chief Justice shall serve a term of five years beginning on the expiration of the preceding member’s term and ending on February 1st five years later.

d. A member of the council shall not continue to serve in a hold-over capacity upon the expiration of the member’s term. The officials responsible for making appointments to the council pursuant to this section shall do so in a timely manner in order to ensure that vacancies do not occur when terms expire.

L.1996,c.24,s.6.