ASSEMBLY, No. 4329

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

219th LEGISLATURE

 

INTRODUCED JUNE 29, 2020

 

 

Sponsored by:

Assemblyman  WILLIAM F. MOEN, JR.

District 5 (Camden and Gloucester)

 

 

 

 

SYNOPSIS

     Establishes task force to study and make recommendations concerning ways to improve unemployment insurance information technology infrastructure.

 

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

     As introduced.

  

An Act establishing a task force to study and make recommendations concerning ways to improve the unemployment insurance information technology infrastructure.

 

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

 

      1.   a.  There is established in the Division of Unemployment Insurance in the Department of Labor and Workforce Development a task force to study the effectiveness of and give recommendations concerning ways to improve the division's information technology infrastructure.  The purpose of the task force shall be to evaluate whether the office is achieving effectiveness, efficiency, and economy in the employment of available resources and to make recommendations relating to ways to improve the division's information technology infrastructure.

      b.   The task force shall consist of 11 members as follows:

     (1)   The Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development or his designee, who shall serve ex officio;

     (2)   The Chief Technology Officer in the Office of Information Technology as established by section 9 of P.L.2007, c.56 (C.52:18A-227) or his designee, who shall serve ex officio; and

     (3)   Nine public members, appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate, including: two representatives of labor organizations; three experts of information technology infrastructure operation and management, and four legislative assistants, one for each partisan office of the Legislature. 

      c.    Vacancies in the membership of the task force shall be filled in the same manner provided for the original appointments.  The public members of the task force shall serve without compensation but may be reimbursed for traveling and other miscellaneous expenses necessary to perform their duties, within the limits of funds made available to the task force for its purpose.

      d.   The task force shall organize as soon as practicable, but not later than the 30th day after the appointment of its members, and shall select a chairperson and vice-chairperson from among the members.  The chairperson shall appoint a secretary who need not be a member of the task force.

      e.    The task force may meet at the call of its chair and hold hearings at the times and in the places it may deem appropriate and necessary to fulfill its charge.  The task force shall be entitled to call to its assistance, and avail itself of the services of, the employees of any State, county or municipal department, board, bureau, commission, or agency as it may require and as may be available for its purposes.

      f.    The Department of Labor and Workforce Development shall provide professional and clerical staff services to the task force.

 

     2.    The task force shall identify issues, including but not limited to, key technological and information technology failures that were brought to light by the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic with the goal of developing recommendations as to how to address, repair, update, and modernize the division's overall technological infrastructure.

 

     3.    The task force shall report to the Governor, and to the Legislature pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), no later than 12 months after the initial meeting of the task force, its findings and recommendations, including any recommendations for legislative action that may be undertaken in the future.

 

     4.    This act shall take effect immediately and shall expire upon the issuance of the task force report pursuant to section 3 of this act.

 

 

STATEMENT

 

     This bill establishes a task force in the Division of Unemployment Insurance in the Department of Labor and Workforce Development to study the effectiveness of and give recommendations concerning ways to improve the division's information technology infrastructure.  The purpose of the task force shall be to evaluate whether the office is achieving effectiveness, efficiency, and economy in the employment of available resources and to make recommendations relating to ways to improve the division's information technology infrastructure.

     Under the bill, the task force would consist of 11 members as follows:

     (1)   The Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development or his designee, who shall serve ex officio;

     (2)   The Chief Technology Officer in the Office of Information Technology, or his designee, who shall serve ex officio; and

     (3)   Nine public members, appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate, including: two representatives of labor organizations; three experts of information technology infrastructure operation and management, and four legislative assistants, one for each of the partisan office of the Legislature. 

     Under the bill, the task force must identify, including but not limited to, key technological and information technology failures that were brought to light by the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic with the goal of developing recommendations as to how to address, repair, update, and modernize the division's overall technological infrastructure.

     The bill requires the task force to issue a report to the Governor and to the Legislature which is to include its findings and recommendations, including any recommendations for legislative action that may be undertaken in the future.