ORANJ

HOME

ORANJ LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE HANDBOOK
June, 2007

The ORANJ Legislative Committee Handbook contains material that is useful for ORANJ Legislative Committee members and for comparable committees at member CCRCs.

In this web version of the ORANJ Legislative Handbook, there are links to the pages of the New Jersey State website which have been reproduced in the printed copy of the handbook. Consequently the print version of the handbook is quickly outdated, whereas the web version of the handbook is automatically updated as soon as the New Jersey State website has new information. .

Section 1 - Scope of Committee Activity

  1. Identify State Laws that are relevant to CCRC residents.
  2. Identify new and existing NJ Legislative bills (Senate and Assembly)
  3. Review Laws and bills, identify sponsors, relevant committees and their members.
  4. Propose course of action by the Legislative Committee and its members.
  5. Write letters to Legislators requesting actions, modifications and providing support for selected bills.
  6. Visit Trenton, Legislators and others to make statements in support of our position.
  7. Coordinate our Committee activities with our Executive Committee, from time to time.
  8. Circulate information on bills and our activities to all ORANJ members.
  9. Issue statements to various news media to publicize our agreed position on certain issues, to gain support.
  10. Propose to our Executive changes to state laws and regulations, and new state laws, that will be of benefit to our members.
  11. Meet as a committee at reasonable intervals.
  12. Communicate by email as much as possible.
  13. Work with our Communications Committee, our other committees and other NJ organization to further our Committee aims and projects.
  14. Establish an annual committee budget when requested.
  15. Request our ORANJ members to support our activities on occasion, through telephone calls and letters.

Section 2 New Jersey Legislature

2.1 About Your Legislature.
http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/legislativepub/our.asp

2.2 How A Bill becomes Law in NJ.
http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/legislativepub/legprocess.asp

2.3 Amendments to a Bill in Legislative Debate

When a bill comes to the floor of the Senate or Assembly for debate and a vote, amendments may be offered during debate.

If the Legislative sponsor of the bill does not wish to consider an amendment, then the Legislator will request a motion to table the ammendment.
A vote is then taken on this motion.

If it succeeds, then the request for amendment is refused.
Then the bill is called for a vote.

If the vote for tabling the amendment fails (the motion is not tabled), the Legislators then discuss and vote upon the amendment.
This vote may succeed and the amendment is included in the bill, or it may fail and the discussion of the bill will continue.

Finally, the sponsor requests a call for the bill to be voted upon.
When a majority agrees (usually a voice vote), the bill will be voted by the Legislature.

Section 3. NJ Legislature -
Districts, Members and Committees of Interest

3.1 Map of NJ Legislative Districts
http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/districts/njmap210.html
3.2 Numerical list of NJ Legislative Districts & their townships
http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/districts/districtnumbers.asp
3.3 Alphabetical List of Towns & their Leg. District
http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/districts/municipalities.asp
Note: the hardcopy has only one page of this list, as a sample.
3.4 Numerical List of Legislative Districts & their Legislators
http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/members/roster.asp
Note: the hardcopy has only one page of this list, as a sample.
3.5 Alphabetical List of Legislators
http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/members/abcroster.asp
Note: the hardcopy has only one page of this list, as a sample.
3.6 NJ Senate Committee for Health, Human Services &
Senior Citizens Then choose "Health, Human Services & Senior Citizens" from the menu in the right sidebar.
3.7 NJ Senate Law & Public Safety & Veteran's Affairs Then choose "Law & Public Safety & Veteran's Affairs" from the menu in the right sidebar.
3.8 NJ Assembly Committee for Health & Senior Services Then choose "Health & Senior Services" from the menu in the right sidebar.
3.9 NJ Assembly Committee for Military & Veteran's Affairs Then choose "Military & Veteran's Affairs" from the menu in the right sidebar.
3.10 List of Senate Committee Aides
http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/committees/senaides.asp
3.11 List of Assembly Committee Aides
http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/committees/assemblyaides.asp
3.12 "CCRC Legislators" & their Committee
The 15 legislative districts with a CCRC are listed in a table showing the district legislators and their committee assignments. The districts are T with CCRCs in them are: 3, 6, 8, 9, 12, 14, 16, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 30, 32.

Example listing: Village Friends at Home is the CCRC in District 3. So District 3 is listed showing its legislators and their committee assignments.

District Name
Party
 Chamber
Committees
3
 Steven M Sweeny
D
S
 Labor(Ch), Environment (VC), Budget & Appr.
  John J Burzichelli
D
A
 Commerce(Ch), Budget, Homeland Security
  Douglas H Fisher
D
A
 Agriculture(Ch), Regulated Prof & Ind. Auth.

Jump to the ORANJ "CCRC Legislators" table.

3.13 CCRC Legislative Districts
This table is an alphabetical listing of ORANJ members, their towns, legislative districts, and an indication of whether a legislator from the district is a member of a committee focusing on senior issues.

Jump to the "CCRC Legislative Districts" table.

3.14 List of Legislative Leaders
http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/members/leadership.asp
Note:This page shows the leaders of the Senate and Assembly, and their districts. There are 15 different districts with CCRCs in them: 3, 6, 8, 9, 12, 14, 16, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 30, 32.

Section 4.
Looking for Bills of Interest and forming a Plan of Action

Search
1. Talk to those in the office of your local Legislators (Senate and Assembly). Ask "What's New?"
2. Search on the web at www.njleg.state.nj.us by
....A) name of a committee: example Senior or Health
....B) latest Bill Numbers
....C) word: Health or Prescription Drugs, or Medicaid, or town tax.
....D) name of your Legislator as a Bill Sponsor or co-sponsor
3. Invite your Legislators to talk to your CCRC about events at Trenton, and local problems.
4. Read the newspapers and watch TV!

Recommend
1. Contact ORANJ Committee persons within your CCRC and the ORANJ Executive Committee members.
2. ORANJ Executive will make recommendations to the ORANJ Legislative Committee, and agree priorities.

Prepare Opinion
The Legislative Committee member will prepare a "Position Paper" for review and acceptance by both the Legislative and Executive Committees. This will establish the guideline for further action.

Actions - not in any particular sequence or priority.
If ORANJ decides to take furtheraction along given guidelines for a given Bill, (or propose a Bill), there are several actions that may follow. The sequence and steps taken may well vary.

  1. Search the Legislative web site (see above), and download the names of the Bill sponsors and the committees involved - both the Senate and Assembly. Also search for any other related Bills.
  2. Prepare an amended "Position Paper" setting out the ORANJ points of view, both pros and cons, and proposed actions.
  3. Write to the Trenton Committees' Chairpersons and members offering comment. Ask to give written and oral comment at scheduled hearings
  4. Cotact other CCRCs askin for write-in support to their Legislators and to the Trentono Legislators' committees.
  5. Contact the sponsor and cosponsors if not on the above committees.
  6. Invite the Legislators to visit a CCRC (or the ORANJ committee), or ask to meet with the Legislator or Legislative Committee.
  7. Sponsor an ORANJ-wide individual write in campain to the Governor, Speaker, Ships, Majority and Minority Leaders, and all other Legislators.
  8. Email those listed in 7 above.
  9. Request a response to a "question and answer" or "for" or "against" message to selected (or all) legislators. Publish the results, either locally or Statewide.
  10. Write articles for local or state newspapers on given topics setting out ORANJ attitudes.
  11. Contact other ortanizations and ally ourselves with those who agree with our point of view. These could include AARP, Leage of Women Voters, taxpayers associations (local and statewide), other senior groups.
  12. Contact our national organization (NaCCRA), and elicit support nationally. Share information

Section 5. Tips for Meeting with a Legislator

  • Be on time;
  • If several others are attending the meeting, decide in advance who will be the spokesperson, who will make the introductions -- who you are and whom you represent;
  • Whether alone or with a group, prepare a 90-second presentation that quickly identifies the issue of concern to you, and then be prepared to expand on it as time permits;
  • Clearly state what you want;
  • Leave a prepared fact sheet which outlines your pbasic message, plus your name and telephone number/email for more information; and
  • Follow up with a letter thanking the legislator or aide for his/her time, confirming the points discussed and offering your assistnce should additional information be needed. (For a member of Congress, this letter should either be faxed to their Washington office or mailed to their district office.)

Remember:

Policy makers won't think you are rude for stating what you want, and may think it odd of you if you don't. Part of their job is to be asked, and part of your job is to ask.

You can't be persuave if you are not understood. Avoid jargon, technical terms or initials unless you are very certain they are being understood. Be prepared to go over the basics.

Staff is okay! Legislators rely heavily on their staff for information and advice, so don't hold out to meet only with the legislator. The staff member can be a bridge to a future meeting with the legislator.

Author unknown

More tips on meeting with legislators from NFSC

Section 6. New Jersey Laws of Interest

  1. NJ52:27D 330-358 - The NJ Act which describes CCRCs (?? couldn't find it with Google)
  2. NJAC Title 5 Chapter 19 - Regulation and Financial Disclosure Act Regulations (?? couldn't find it with Google)
  3. P.L. 2004 Chapter 41 (.pdf) (Provider Bed Tax)
  4. P.L. 2004 Chapter 93 (.pdf) Defibrillators in nursing homes
  5. P.L. 1999 Chapter 0332 (.pdf) (S1273 IR) Right to Return Home

Section 7. Bills of Interest

First go to http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/bills/BillsByCommittee.asp At the top of the page is a menu - click the down arrow, select one of the four committees with "Bills of Interest." They are: the Senate Committee for Health, Human Services, and Senior Citizens; the Senate Law & Public Safety and Veterans Affairs Committee; the Assembly Committee for Health & Senior Services; and the Assembly Committee for Military and Veterans Affairs.

Section 8. List of Useful web sites

Section 9. List of Associations to Contact

APPENDIX
(I) ORANJ Legislative Committee
(II) ORANJ Legislative Advisers
(III) List of current projects

ORANJ Legislative action
back to publications
finance committee guidebook