§ 18A:72A-4 — "New Jersey educational facilities authority."

18A:72A-4. (a) There is hereby established in but not of the Department of the Treasury a public body corporate and politic, with corporate succession to be known as the "New Jersey educational facilities authority." Notwithstanding this allocation, the authority shall be independent of any supervision or control by the department or any officer thereof. The authority shall constitute a political subdivision of the State established as an instrumentality exercising public and essential governmental functions, and the exercise by the authority of the powers conferred by this chapter shall be deemed and held to be an essential governmental function of the State. (b) The authority shall consist of seven members, two of whom shall be the Secretary of Higher Education, ex officio, and the State Treasurer, ex officio, or when so designated by them, their deputies and five citizens of the State to be appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate for terms of five years; provided that the terms of the members first appointed shall be arranged by the Governor so that one of such terms shall expire on April 30 in each successive year ensuing after such appointments. Members shall hold office for the term of their appointments and shall continue to serve during the term of their successors unless and until his successor shall have been appointed and qualified. Any vacancy among the members appointed by the Governor shall be filled by appointment for the unexpired term only. A member of the authority shall be eligible for reappointment. (c) Any member of the authority appointed by the Governor may be removed from office by the Governor for cause after a public hearing. (d) The members of the authority shall serve without compensation, but the authority may reimburse its members for necessary expenses incurred in the discharge of their duties. (e) The authority, upon the first appointment of its members and thereafter on or after April 30 in each year, shall annually elect from among its members a chairman and a vice chairman who shall hold office until April 30 next ensuing and shall continue to serve during the terms of their respective successors unless and until their respective successors shall have been appointed and qualified. The authority may also appoint, retain and employ, without regard to the provisions of Title 11, Civil Service, of the Revised Statutes, such officers, agents, employees and experts as it may require, and it shall determine their qualifications, terms of office, duties, services and compensation. (f) The powers of the authority shall be vested in the members thereof in office from time to time and a majority of the total authorized membership of the authority shall constitute a quorum at any meeting thereof. Action may be taken and motions and resolutions adopted by the authority at any meeting thereof by the affirmative vote of a majority of the members present, unless in any case the bylaws of the authority shall require a larger number. No vacancy in the membership of the authority shall impair the right of a quorum to exercise all the rights and perform all the duties of the authority. (g) Before the issuance of any bonds under the provisions of this chapter, the members and the officer of the authority charged with the handling of the authority's moneys shall be covered by a surety bond or bonds in a penal sum of not less than $25,000.00 per person conditioned upon the faithful performance of the duties of their respective offices, and executed by a surety company authorized to transact business in the State of New Jersey as surety. Each such bond shall be submitted to the Attorney General for his approval and upon his approval shall be filed in the Office of the Secretary of State prior to the issuance of any bonds by the authority. At all times after the issuance of any bonds by the authority the officer of the authority and each member charged with the handling of the authority's moneys shall maintain such surety bonds in full force and effect. All costs of such surety bonds shall be borne by the authority. (h) Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, it shall not be or constitute a conflict of interest for a trustee, director, officer or employee of a participating institution to serve as a member of the authority; provided such trustee, director, officer or employee shall abstain from discussion, deliberation, action and vote by the authority under this chapter in specific respect to such participating institution of which such member is a trustee, director, officer or employee. (i) A true copy of the minutes of every meeting of the authority shall be forthwith delivered by and under the certification of the secretary thereof, to the Governor. No action taken at such meeting by the authority shall have force or effect until 10 days, Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays excepted, after such copy of the minutes shall have been so delivered. If, in said 10-day period, the Governor returns such copy of the minutes with veto of any action taken by the authority or any member thereof at such meeting, such action shall be null and of no effect. If the Governor shall not return the minutes within said 10-day period, any action therein recited shall have force and effect according to the wording thereof. At any time prior to the expiration of the said 10-day period, the Governor may sign a statement of approval of any such action of the authority, in which case the action so approved shall not thereafter be disapproved. The powers conferred in this subsection (i) upon the Governor shall be exercised with due regard for the rights of the holders of bonds of the authority at any time outstanding, and nothing in, or done pursuant to, this subsection (i) shall in any way limit, restrict or alter the obligation or powers of the authority or any representative or officer of the authority to carry out and perform in every detail each and every covenant, agreement or contract at any time made or entered into by or on behalf of the authority with respect to its bonds or for the benefit, protection or security of the holders thereof. amended 1994, c.48, s.236; 1999, c.46, s.48; 1999, c.217, s.11; 2009, c.308, s.30; 2021, c.415, s.3.