S 3748 — Provides for representation of Burlington County on SJTA.

S3748 1R [First Reprint] SENATE, No.

  CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT      As introduced.reported by the Senate Transportation Committee on May 11, 2026, with amendments.

     "Paratransit service" means any service, other than motorbus regular route service and motorbus charter service, including but not limited to, dial-a-ride, non-regular route, jitney or community minibus, and shared-ride services such as vanpools, limousines or taxicabs which are regularly available to the public.  1“1 Paratransit services 1”1 shall not include limousine or taxicab service reserved for the private and exclusive use of individual passengers.

     "Transportation facility" means any area, place, building, or other structure designed to provide rail passenger service, motorbus regular route service, paratransit service, motorbus charter service, air passenger and air freight service, or marine passenger service, or any two or more of these services, to the public, and includes passenger stations, shelters and terminals, air passenger terminals, hangars, heliports, docking and launching facilities, parking facilities, ramps, track connections, signal systems, power systems, information and communication systems, roadbeds, transit lanes or rights-of-way, equipment storage and servicing facilities, bridges, grade crossings, rail cars, locomotives, motorbus and other motor vehicles, boats, ferries and other marine vehicles, aircraft, maintenance and garage facilities, revenue handling equipment and any other equipment, facility or property useful for or related to the provision of these services;services 1[;] .1      "Transportation project" means the acquisition, construction, and maintenance of an airport, public transportation facility or other transportation facility, established by this act or which may be hereafter established by law and may include related facilities and activities which may consist of public transportation services, public transportation facilities, including but not limited to rail and bus stations and terminals, noise abatement projects, parking facilities, public highways and feeder roads related to or connected with the project, and any economic development facilities as defined in this section.  1“1Transportation project1”1 includes any planning necessary to develop a comprehensive, efficient, convenient or economical transportation system in South Jersey, any planning or marketing necessary or desirable for the execution of any transportation project, and any planning, acquisition, construction or operation of economic development facilities related to, connected with, or in the vicinity of the project.

     "Transportation project" means the acquisition, construction, and maintenance of an airport, public transportation facility or other transportation facility, established by this act or which may be hereafter established by law and may include related facilities and activities which may consist of public transportation services, public transportation facilities, including but not limited to rail and bus stations and terminals, noise abatement projects, parking facilities, public highways and feeder roads related to or connected with the project, and any economic development facilities as defined in this section.  Transportation project includes any planning necessary to develop a comprehensive, efficient, convenient or economical transportation system in South Jersey, any planning or marketing necessary or desirable for the execution of any transportation project, and any planning, acquisition, construction or operation of economic development facilities related to, connected with, or in the vicinity of the project.

(cf:(cf:  P.L.1991, c.252, s.3)        3.    Section 5 of P.L.1991, c.252 (C.27:25A-5) is amended to read as follows:       5.    a.  The authority shall consist of the Commissioner of Transportation who shall be an ex officio voting member, the Chief Executive Officer of the New Jersey Economic Development Authority [Commissioner of Commerce, Energy and Economic Development] who shall be an ex officio nonvoting member, and [seven] eight members appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate, [six] seven of whom are residents of South Jersey, four of whom shall be residents of that portion of South Jersey within a 30 mile radius of the civil aviation terminal at the Atlantic City International Airport or of municipalities through which the Atlantic City Expressway traverses , [and] [two] and three of whom shall be residents of that portion of South Jersey outside of a 30 mile radius of that terminal;

 P.L.1991, c.252, s.3)        3.    Section 5 of P.L.1991, c.252 (C.27:25A-5) is amended to read as follows:       5.    a.  The authority shall consist of the Commissioner of Transportation who shall be an ex officio voting member, the Chief Executive Officer of the New Jersey Economic Development Authority [Commissioner of Commerce, Energy and Economic Development] who shall be an ex officio nonvoting member, and [seven] eight members appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate, [six] seven of whom are residents of South Jersey, four of whom shall be residents of that portion of South Jersey within a 30 mile radius of the civil aviation terminal at the Atlantic City International Airport or of municipalities through which the Atlantic City Expressway traverses , [and] [two] and three of whom shall be residents of that portion of South Jersey outside of a 30 mile radius of that terminal;

     c. c.     Each appointed member of the authority shall serve for a term of five years, except that, of those first appointed, one shall serve for a term of two years, two shall serve for a term of three years, two shall serve for a term of four years and two shall serve for a term of five years, as the Governor may designate upon appointment.

     e.     The Governor shall designate one of the members of the authority as chairperson who shall serve as such at the pleasure of the Governor.  The authority, upon the first appointment of its members and thereafter on or after July 1 in each year, shall annually elect from among its members, including the ex officio voting member, a vice-chairperson who shall hold office until July 1 next ensuing and until a successor is elected.  The authority may also appoint and employ, without regard to the provisions of Title 11A of the New Jersey Statutes, a secretary, a chief financial officer, an executive director, a general counsel and a chief engineer and other consulting engineers, special attorneys or counsel, accountants, construction, legal and financial experts, and other agents and employees as the authority may require, and shall determine their qualifications, terms of office, duties and compensation, except (1) the authority shall not enter into a contract of employment for the position of executive director or other policy-making positions for a term of employment ending later than the last day of the four-year gubernatorial term in effect on the date on which the contract is executed, provided the authority may continue to employ, at its pleasure, the executive director or other employee subject to the provisions of this paragraph after the termination of an employment contract until such time as a contract of employment for that position is executed and (2) those employees not subject to the "New Jersey Employer-Employee Relations Act," P.L.1941, c.100 (C.34:13A-1 et seq.) shall receive (a) sick and vacation leave only as provided for State employees in Title 11A of the New Jersey Statutes and if supplemental compensation upon retirement is to be paid, it shall be calculated and limited as in N.J.S.1[N.J.S.

11A:6-1911A:6-19] N.J.S.11A:6-191 and (b) health benefits no greater than the level of benefits provided to State employees pursuant to the "New Jersey State Health Benefits Program Act," P.L.1961, c.49 (C.52:14-17.25 et seq.).

(cf:(cf:  P.L.1991, c.252, s.5)        4.    This act shall take effect immediately.

 P.L.1991, c.252, s.5)        4.    This act shall take effect immediately.

    STATEMENT        This bill includes Burlington County as a member county of the South Jersey Transportation Authority (SJTA).

 The bill also changes the composition of the Board of Commissioners of the SJTA by adding new members to the Board.

     The SJTA currently includes Atlantic, Cape May, Camden, Cumberland, Gloucester, and Salem counties within its transportation development and planning scope as member counties.