N.J. Stat. tit. 52, ch. 20

N.J. Stat. tit. 52, ch. 20
in effect

N.J. Stat. § 52:20-1 State House Commission, composition, compensation, terms.

52:20-1. The State House Commission shall consist of the Governor, who shall be the presiding officer, the State Treasurer, and the Director of the Division of Budget and Accounting in the Department of the Treasury or their designees, or the persons upon whom shall devolve by law the powers, duties and emoluments of said offices respectively, for the time being, and 2 members of the Senate appointed by the President thereof and 2 members of the General Assembly appointed by the Speaker thereof, no more than one of either group of 2 being of the same political party or their alternates. Each alternate for an appointed member shall also be a member of the Senate or General Assembly appointed by the President or Speaker, as appropriate, and shall have full voting powers when required to attend Commission meetings. The members of the commission shall serve without pay in connection with all such duties as are prescribed in this chapter. The appointed members of the commission shall serve as members thereof for terms co-extensive with their respective terms as members of the Houses of the Legislature from which they were appointed. Amended 1953, c.85, s.1; 1963, c.180; 1997, c.135, s.2; 2007, c.52, s.29.

N.J. Stat. § 52:20-4 Meetings of commission, copies of minutes

R.S.52:20-4. All meetings of the commission shall be open to the public and all the business of the commission shall be transacted at public meetings held in the State House at such time and place as the commission shall prescribe. The commission shall meet at least once every three calendar months, but may meet more frequently at such times as determined by the chairperson of the commission. The secretary shall transmit to each member of the commission a copy of the minutes of each meeting within twenty-four hours after the adjournment thereof. The minutes of the commission shall be open to inspection by any citizen of the State at all times during business hours. Amended 1997,c.135,s.5.

N.J. Stat. § 52:20-5 Rules

The commission shall formulate and adopt rules of procedure for the government of the commission in exercising its powers and fulfilling its duties under this chapter.

N.J. Stat. § 52:20-6 Number of members necessary to act

The concurrence of five of the members of the commission shall be necessary to the validity of all acts of the commission except allotments from the emergency fund which shall require unanimous consent. Amended by L.1953, c. 85, p. 1011, s. 2.

N.J. Stat. § 52:20-7 Commission to have custody of State-owned buildings; exception

52:20-7. The commission shall have custody of all buildings owned by the State, including the State barracks, except buildings under the custody of the State Capitol Joint Management Commission, which are used by the departments, agencies and officials of the State in connection with the conduct of the State's business, and shall lease from time to time such office space as may be required for the conduct of the State's business at such terms and under such conditions as it may deem appropriate. Amended 1992,c.67,s.11.

N.J. Stat. § 52:20-13 Acquisition of property in Trenton

The commission may acquire any property by gift, grant, purchase, condemnation or in any other lawful manner in the name of and for the use of the state, for the purpose of the administration of the state's business in the city of Trenton, in accordance with appropriations made therefor when moneys are required for the purchase.

N.J. Stat. § 52:20-14 Construction and alteration of buildings; submission to legislature

The commission shall have charge of the erection of new buildings and the substantial alteration or enlargement of existing buildings, used or to be used by the state or any of its departments or agencies for office purposes in the city of Trenton, but shall not incur any debt or obligations therefor until the proposed new building, alteration or enlargement work has been submitted to the legislature with the estimated cost thereof and such other detail as may fully inform the legislature as to the proposed erection, alteration or enlargement, and the improvement is concurred in by both houses of the legislature.

N.J. Stat. § 52:20-15 Plans and specifications; appropriations; contracts; architect

No work shall be done or obligation of the state incurred for the erection of any new building or the alteration, enlargement or improvement of existing buildings unless the work is under definite plans and specifications first submitted to and approved by the commission; and no obligations shall in any manner be created in connection with such improvement until an appropriation for the part of the work to be contracted for in the budget period has been made by the legislature. In case the appropriation to be made for a project does not contemplate the completion of the entire project, all requests for such appropriations shall set forth a complete description of the whole project, and the estimated and detailed cost thereof, and shall separately state the part of the project which has been completed, if any, the actual cost thereof, and the part remaining to be completed and the estimated cost thereof, and the part proposed to be completed by the appropriation requested, together with the estimated cost of such portion of the work. All such work shall be by contract authorized and signed by the commission on behalf of the state. The architect shall be selected by the commission and his compensation determined by it under an agreement in writing.

N.J. Stat. § 52:20-15.1 Approval of state house commission in connection with certain contracts for capital improvements and transfer of funds in connection therewith

The approval of the State House Commission shall be required in connection with any contract for the construction of any building or the alteration, enlargement or improvements of any existing building, in connection with any capital construction to be paid for from the receipts of the sale of any bonds supported by a pledge of the credit of the State and issued pursuant to law: (a) Before any extra or additional work, in excess of 5% of the total expenditure in the aggregate provided for in such contract, is ordered or contracted for requiring an additional expenditure; (b) Before any funds for capital construction derived from the sale of any of said bonds shall be transferred from any project to which they have been allocated to any other project. L.1964, c. 233, s. 1.

N.J. Stat. § 52:20-17 Annual report to legislature

The commission shall make an annual detailed report of its actions and operations to the legislature and render such other reports to the legislature as it shall from time to time require.

N.J. Stat. § 52:20-18 Additional powers and duties

The commission shall have such other and further powers and perform such other and further duties as may be conferred or imposed upon it from time to time.

N.J. Stat. § 52:20-18.1 Findings, declarations

The Legislature finds and declares that approval by the State House Commission is a precondition to the execution of any contract for the alteration, expansion, or improvement of any real property purchased by local government units with funds made available from Green Acres bond revenues; that the commission acts only when completed plans and specifications are submitted to it for review; that because the commission does not meet on a frequent basis, delays in implementing projects awaiting contract approval occur; that many of these contracts concern minor projects that would benefit from expeditious consideration; and that it is in the public interest to provide a mechanism to expedite State review of minor projects associated with real property purchased with Green Acres funds. L.1989, c.241, s.1.

N.J. Stat. § 52:20-18.2 Subcommittee on Green Acres Properties established

The State House Commission shall establish from its membership a Subcommittee on Green Acres Properties. The subcommittee shall constitute an instrumentality of the State exercising public and essential governmental functions, and the exercise by the subcommittee of the powers conferred by this or any other act shall be deemed and held to be an essential governmental function of the State. L.1989, c.241, s.2.

N.J. Stat. § 52:20-18.3 Subcommittee to meet, provide minutes to State House Commission

The subcommittee shall meet at least once every two months to conduct its business. A true copy of the minutes of every meeting of the subcommittee shall be prepared and forthwith delivered to the commission. L.1989, c.241, s.3.

N.J. Stat. § 52:20-18.4 Commission to determine what projects subcommittee may consider, interim guidelines

The commission shall formulate and adopt rules of procedure for the government of the subcommittee in exercising its powers and fulfilling its duties under this act, including a determination of the type of proposed alteration, expansion, or improvement that the subcommittee may consider. Until this determination is made, the subcommittee, on an interim basis, may consider proposals involving expenditures of less than $2,000,000.00 or proposals for exchanges of land parcels of equal value less than 20 acres in size. L.1989, c.241, s.4.

N.J. Stat. § 52:20-18.5 Powers and duties of subcommittee

The subcommittee shall have the following powers and duties: a. To review proposals submitted for approval in connection with the minor alteration, expansion, exchanges, or improvement of any real property purchased by a local government unit with Green Acres funds and to grant such approval if warranted. b. To call to its assistance and avail itself of the services of such employees of any State, county, or municipal department, board, commission, or agency as may be required and made available for such purposes. L.1989, c.241, s.5.

N.J. Stat. § 52:20-18.6 Exercise of powers and duties

The subcommittee may exercise its powers and duties on behalf of the commission notwithstanding the provision of R.S.52:20-6. L.1989, c.241, s.6.

N.J. Stat. § 52:20-19 Referendum laws not affected

Nothing contained in this chapter shall be construed to affect the power and the duty to execute such laws as have been submitted to the people at a general election and have received the sanction of a majority of all the votes cast for or against it at such election, nor to affect the personnel of the commission as constituted by any such law.

N.J. Stat. § 52:20-24 County and municipal war memorials

L.1924, c. 189, p. 406 (1924 Suppl. s.s. **192-97, **192-98), entitled "An act authorizing the governor, the state treasurer, and the comptroller of the treasury, constituting the state house commission, to convey lands belonging to the state of New Jersey, to any county and municipality thereof, for the purpose of erecting thereon joint war memorials," approved March eleventh, one thousand nine hundred and twenty-four; and L.1925, c. 18, p. 74, entitled "An act authorizing the governor, the state treasurer, and the comptroller of the treasury, constituting the state house commission, to convey lands belonging to the state of New Jersey, to any municipality thereof, for the purpose of erecting thereon a war memorial," approved February twenty-sixth, one thousand nine hundred and twenty-five, saved from repeal. [These acts authorize the state house commission, upon the application of a county or municipality, to convey lands, not exceeding one acre in area, for the purpose of erecting a war memorial on the lands so conveyed.]
Source: Open US Law by Vaquill AI (CC BY 4.0)URL: https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/legislative-activity/statutesFetched: 10/17/2026

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