Establishes New Jersey Government Restructuring and Modernization Commission.

A1342

ASSEMBLY, No. 1342

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Assemblyman CODY D. MILLER

District 4 (Atlantic, Camden and Gloucester)

Co-Sponsored by:

Assemblyman Hutchison

SYNOPSIS

���� Establishes New Jersey Government Restructuring and
Modernization Commission.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative
Counsel.

��

An Act
establishing the New Jersey Government
Restructuring

and Modernization Commission.

����
Be It
Enacted
by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:

���� 1.� This act shall be known
and may be cited as the �Government Restructuring and Modernization Commission
Act.�

���� 2.� The Legislature finds and
declares that:

���� a.� The State of New Jersey
faces a significant structural budget deficit that demands a more efficient and
modern approach to governance.

���� b.� The executive branch
operates across numerous departments and agencies that often lack coordination
and legislative oversight.

���� c.� Redundant or outdated
functions persist across departments, increasing inefficiencies and costs to
taxpayers.

���� d.� A collaborative effort
involving the executive, legislative, and departmental leadership is necessary
to streamline government operations while preserving the integrity of the State
workforce.

���� e.� Any modernization effort
must prioritize the institutional knowledge of existing staff and avoid forced
layoffs, utilizing attrition and retirements instead.

���� 3.� a.� There is established
the New Jersey Government Restructuring and Modernization Commission.� The
commission shall consist of 15 members as follows:

���� (1)� the Lieutenant Governor,
or a designee, who shall serve as chair of the commission;

���� (2)� three members of the
Senate, appointed by the Senate President, no more than two of whom shall be
members of the same political party;

���� (3)� three members of the
General Assembly, appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly, no more
than two of whom shall be members of the same political party;

���� (4)� three career public
employees, with a minimum of 10 years of service, appointed jointly by the
Governor, Senate President, and Speaker of the General Assembly; and

���� (5)� five public members with
expertise in public administration, finance, or government reform, including
one appointed by the Governor, and one each appointed by the Governor upon the
recommendation of the Senate President, the Senate Minority Leader, the Speaker
of the General Assembly, and the Minority Leader of the General Assembly.

���� b.� The commission shall hold
its initial organizational meeting as soon as practicable, but no later than 30
days following the appointment of its members.� Any vacancy in the membership
of the commission shall be filled in the same manner as the original
appointment.� Legislators shall serve during the two-year legislative term in
which the appointment is made and shall be eligible for reappointment to the
commission.� Each public member of the commission shall serve for a term of
five years.

���� c.�
Members of the commission shall serve without
compensation, but shall be reimbursed for all necessary expenses incurred in
the performance of their duties, within the limits of funds appropriated or
otherwise made available to the commission for its purposes.

���� d.� The Department of State shall provide staff
and related support services as may be needed by the commission to carry out
its responsibilities.� The commission shall also be entitled to call to its
assistance and avail itself of the services of the employees of any other State
department, office, division, or agency to accomplish its duties.

���� e.� A majority of all the authorized members of
the commission shall constitute a quorum.
�
The commission shall
meet once every six months and at such other times as the chair of the
commission may determine.

���� 4.� a.� The commission shall:

���� (1)� conduct a comprehensive
review of all executive branch departments and agencies to identify:

���� (a)� overlapping or redundant
functions;

���� (b)� inefficiencies in service
delivery or reporting structures;

���� (c)� opportunities for
consolidation or shared services; and

���� (d)� opportunities to enhance
legislative oversight.

���� (2)� solicit input from
frontline public employees and department leadership;

���� (3)� develop a modernization
blueprint with legislative and administrative recommendations; and

���� (4)� submit an annual report
to the Governor and to the Legislature,
pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164
(C.52:14-19.1)
,
detailing its findings and recommendations
by March 1 of each year, beginning the calendar year after the enactment of
P.L. , c.��� (pending before the Legislature as this
bill).

���� b.� The commission shall abide
by the following guiding principles:

���� (1)� reforms shall utilize
natural attrition, retirements, and reallocation to implement changes and
cannot mandate layoffs or workforce reductions;

���� (2)� proposals shall be
data-driven, practical, and preserve critical public services; and

���� (3)� the commission shall
evaluate cost savings, service quality, and accountability.

���� c.� The commission may hold
hearings and public meetings, request data and information from any department
or agency, and hire staff or consultants as necessary within the limits of
funds appropriated or otherwise made available to it for its purposes.

���� d.�
All commission meetings shall be subject to the
�Senator Byron M. Baer Open Public Meetings Act,� P.L.1975, c.231 (C.10:4-6 et
seq.).

���� e.� The commission shall create an online portal
on the New Jersey Department of State�s website for comment and feedback on
potential reforms.

���� 5.� This act shall take effect immediately and
shall expire five years after the date of enactment, unless reauthorized by the
Legislature.

STATEMENT

���� This bill establishes the New
Jersey Government Restructuring and Modernization Commission, a bipartisan and
collaborative body tasked with reviewing the structure and operations of New
Jersey�s executive branch departments and agencies to recommend improvements in
efficiency, transparency, and accountability.

���� New Jersey faces a structural
budget deficit, and this legislation recognizes that part of the solution needs
to include a thorough review of how the State government operates.� Unlike
similar efforts in the past, this commission is designed to take a strategic
and long-term approach, grounded in institutional knowledge, inter-branch
collaboration, and operational reality.

���� The 15-member commission will
include representatives from the executive branch, the Legislature, frontline
public employees with a decade or more of State service, and public members
with expertise in governance or fiscal policy.� The goal is to bring together
those who understand government from the inside with those who can challenge
outdated structures and propose modern solutions.

���� Importantly, this bill does
not authorize layoffs or workforce reductions.� Any structural or
organizational reforms proposed must rely on natural attrition, retirements,
and reallocation of personnel.� This ensures that the process is both fiscally
responsible and humane, avoiding unintended consequences that might disrupt
vital public services or harm career public servants.

���� The commission will deliver a
modernization blueprint, and submit a report annually to the Governor and
Legislature, identifying redundant programs, recommending agency
consolidations, and proposing improvements to inter-agency coordination and
oversight.� All meetings will be public and transparent, with input from
employees and the public encouraged through a designated online portal.� The
bill requires staff and related support services to be provided to the
commission by the New Jersey Department of State.

���� By promoting collaboration
between the executive and legislative branches and empowering experienced
public employees to have a seat at the table, this bill represents a
responsible, inclusive, and forward-thinking path to reimagining how New Jersey
government works, and for whom it works.