2C:33-15.1 Report by Attorney General; taskforce.
4. a. (1) The Attorney General shall biannually issue a comprehensive report detailing the number of occurrences and other statistics, without revealing or including any personal identifying information, concerning first, second, third and subsequent violations of paragraph (1) of subsection a. of section 1 of P.L.1979, c.264 (C.2C:33-15) involving the possession or consumption of any alcoholic beverage, marijuana, hashish, or cannabis items by persons under the legal age to purchase alcoholic beverages or cannabis items, the municipal, county or other geographic areas within which first, second, third and subsequent violations occur, and the law enforcement agencies involved in first, second, third and subsequent violations, covering the previous six-month period. The initial report shall be issued by June 30, 2021, the second report shall be issued by January 30, 2022, and then the next report issued every six months thereafter. Each report shall also be submitted to the Governor and the Legislature pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1).
(2) The Attorney General shall also make reports available to the task force established pursuant to subsection b. of this section based on the Attorney General's periodic review of body worn camera recordings of law enforcement officers responding to a call for service related to a violation or suspected violation of paragraph (1) of subsection a. of section 1 of P.L.1979, c.264 (C.2C:33-15), or at the initiation of any other law enforcement or investigative encounter between an officer and a person related to a violation or suspected violation of that paragraph, which recordings are required to be made in accordance with paragraph (4) of subsection a. of section 1 of P.L.1979, c.264 (C.2C:33-15). The periodic review shall be conducted using body worn camera recordings both selected by the Attorney General and randomly determined, and the task force may request an Attorney General review a particular municipality, region, or time period. The identity of any person included in a recording reviewed by the Attorney General shall be kept confidential and shall not be revealed to the members of the task force or any staff provided to the task force by the Department of Law and Public Safety pursuant to paragraph (6) of subsection b. of this section to support its work.
b. (1) A taskforce shall be established in the Department of Law and Public Safety, comprised of 26 members to review each Attorney General report described in subsection a. of this section, and make recommendations thereon to the Governor and Legislature related to law enforcement activities to address the enforcement of underage possession or consumption of alcoholic beverages, marijuana, hashish, or cannabis items in violation of section 1 of P.L.1979, c.264 (C.2C:33-15), as well as the broader issue of underage possession or consumption of these substances.
(2) The membership of the taskforce shall include the following individuals:
(a) the Attorney General, or a designee;
(b) the Public Defender, or a designee;
(c) the Commissioner of the Department of Children and Families, or a designee;
(d) the Commissioner of Education, or a designee;
(e) a representative from the Juvenile Justice Commission, appointed by the Governor;
(f) a representative from the Division of Criminal Justice in the Department of Law and Public Safety, appointed by the Governor;
(g) the Chair of the Governor's Juvenile Justice Delinquency and Prevention Committee;
(h) two members appointed by the Governor upon the recommendation of the President of the Senate, at least one of whom shall be a member of the Legislative Black Caucus or Legislative Latino Caucus, determined in coordination with the members recommended by the Speaker of the General Assembly pursuant to subparagraph (i) of this paragraph, so that there is at least one member of each caucus serving as a member of the task force;
(i) two members appointed by the Governor
upon the recommendation of the Speaker of the General Assembly, at least one of whom shall be a member of the Legislative Black Caucus or Legislative Latino Caucus, determined in coordination with the members recommended by the Senate President pursuant to subparagraph (h) of this paragraph, so that there is at least one member of each caucus serving as a member of the task force;
(j) the Administrative Director of the Courts, or a designee;
(k) a representative from the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice, appointed by the Governor;
(l) a representative from the American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey, appointed by the Governor;
(m) a representative from the County Prosecutors Association of New Jersey who is actively and presently involved in juvenile matters, appointed by the Governor;
(n) a representative from the New Jersey Juvenile Officers Association, appointed by the Governor;
(o) one representative each from the Annie E. Casey Foundation and Vera Institute of Justice, both appointed by the Governor;
(p) a representative of the NAACP New Jersey State Conference, appointed by the Governor;
(q) a representative of Salvation and Social Justice, appointed by the Governor;
(r) a representative from the County Youth Services Commission Administrators, appointed by the Governor;
(s) a representative from the faith-based ethical community in New Jersey, appointed by the Governor;
(t) a representative of an employee organization representing employees who work at juvenile justice facilities, appointed by the Governor; and
(u) three representatives who have been involved with the New Jersey juvenile justice system, appointed by the Governor, including at least one representative of a non-profit organization that deals with juvenile justice issues and at least one individual who has been subject to the custody of the juvenile justice system.
(3) All members appointed by the Governor, other than the members of the Legislature recommended for appointment, shall serve at the pleasure of the Governor. The members of the Legislature shall serve on the task force during their elective term of office. Any vacancies in the membership of the task force shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointments were made.
(4) Members of the task force shall serve without compensation, but shall be reimbursed for necessary expenditures incurred in the performance of their duties as members of the task force within the limits of funds appropriated or otherwise made available to the task force for its purposes.
(5) The task force shall organize as soon as practicable following the appointment of its members. The task force shall choose a chairperson from among its members and shall appoint a secretary who need not be a member of the task force.
(6) The Department of Law and Public Safety shall provide such stenographic, clerical, and other administrative assistants, and such professional staff as the task force requires to carry out its work.
L.2021, c.25, s.4.