1. a. There is hereby created the New Jersey Human Relations Council, referred to hereinafter as the council, which shall promote prejudice reduction education and address the problem of bias and violent acts based on the victim’s race, color, religion, national origin, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender or disability. The council shall be a permanent, independent body in but not of the Department of Law and Public Safety.

b. The council shall consist of an executive committee which shall include ten public members who shall be representative of the various ethnic; religious; national origin; racial; sexual orientation; gender; and disabilities organizations in this State, of whom four shall be appointed by the Governor, no more than two of whom shall be of the same political party; three shall be appointed by the President of the Senate, no more than two of whom shall be of the same political party; and three shall be appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly, no more than two of whom shall be of the same political party; two members of the Senate appointed by the President of the Senate, no more than one of whom shall be of the same political party; two members of the General Assembly appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly, no more than one of whom shall be of the same political party; seven representatives from county human relations commissions representing the diversity of all county human relations commissions from the 21 counties of the State appointed by the Governor; and the following ex officio members: the Attorney General of the State of New Jersey; the Secretary of State; Commissioner of the Department of Education; the Commissioner of the Department of Community Affairs; the Commissioner of the Department of Corrections; the Commissioner of the Department of Human Services; the Public Defender; the Director of the Administrative Office of the Courts; the Director of the Division of Criminal Justice; the Superintendent of the Division of State Police; the Director of the Division on Civil Rights; the President of the County Prosecutors Association of New Jersey; the President of the New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police; the President of the Bias Crime Officers Association of New Jersey; a county Superintendent of Schools selected by the Commissioner of the Department of Education; the President of the New Jersey Principals and Supervisors Association; and the President of the New Jersey Education Association.

c. Of the public members first appointed to the council, six shall be appointed for a term of three years, two shall be appointed for terms of two years and two shall be appointed for a term of one year. The seven county human relations commissions representatives shall be appointed for terms of two years. The legislative members appointed initially under this act shall serve until the end of the legislative session in which the appointment is made. Thereafter, the legislative members shall be appointed for two-year terms to coincide with the two-year legislative term in which they serve on the council. Thereafter, the public members shall be appointed for terms of three years. Vacancies on the council shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment but for the unexpired term. A chairperson and vice-chairperson shall be selected from among the public members of the council and the representatives from the county human relations commissions. The council shall have the authority to establish subcommittees as it deems appropriate and pursuant to this act. The executive committee of the council shall adopt bylaws to govern the council and elect officers from among the council members as it deems appropriate and pursuant to this act.

d. Each ex officio member may designate a person from the member’s department or agency to represent the member at hearings of the council. All designees may lawfully vote and otherwise act on behalf of the member for whom they constitute the designee.

L.1997,c.257,s.1; amended 2003, c.201.