Advisory Council on Adolescent Pregnancy

2. a. There is established in the Executive Branch of the State Government an Advisory Council on Adolescent Pregnancy. For the purposes of complying with the provisions of Article V, Section IV, paragraph 1 of the New Jersey Constitution, the advisory council is allocated within the Department of Health, but notwithstanding that allocation, the advisory council shall be independent of any supervision or control by the department or by any board or officer thereof. b. The advisory council shall consist of 24 members as follows: the Commissioners of the Departments of Health, Human Services, Children and Families, Education, Community Affairs, and Labor and Workforce Development, who shall serve as ex officio members, and 18 public members, four of whom shall be teenagers, including two teenage parents and two teenagers who are not parents, and fourteen of whom shall be representatives of community based religious, health, and social service organizations which serve adolescents and health professionals and educators with recognized expertise in the field of adolescent pregnancy. Of the public members, three shall be appointed by the President of the Senate, no more than two of whom shall be of the same political party; three shall be appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly, no more than two of whom shall be of the same political party; and 12 shall be appointed by the Governor. Eight of the persons appointed by the Governor shall be appointed with the advice and consent of the Senate, no more than four of whom shall be of the same political party; and four of the persons appointed by the Governor shall be teenagers. The advisory council shall organize within 30 days after the appointment of its members. The members shall select one person from among them to serve as the chairperson and the members shall select a secretary, who need not be a member of the advisory council. c. Each ex officio member may designate an employee of the member's department to represent the member at hearings of the advisory council. All designees may lawfully vote and otherwise act on behalf of the member for whom they constitute the designee. d. Each public member shall be appointed for a term of three years, but of the members first appointed, six shall serve for a term of one year, six for a term of two years, and six for a term of three years. Members shall serve until their successors are appointed and qualified. Vacancies shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointments were made. e. Members of the advisory council shall serve without compensation but, within the limits of funds appropriated or otherwise made available to it, shall be eligible for reimbursement of necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties. f. The Department of Health shall provide such staff as the advisory council requests to carry out the purposes of this act.