ASSEMBLY RESOLUTION No. 
184

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

211th LEGISLATURE

INTRODUCED JUNE 3, 2004

Sponsored by:

Assemblyman JEFF VAN DREW

District 1 (Cape May, Atlantic and Cumberland)

Assemblyman JOSEPH V. EGAN

District 17 (Middlesex and Somerset)

Co-Sponsored by:

Assemblymen Eagler, Diegnan, Fisher and Scalera

SYNOPSIS

    Creates commission to study the loss of New Jersey jobs through outsourcing and off-shoring.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

    As introduced.

(Sponsorship Updated As Of: 3/8/2005)

An Assembly Resolution creating a commission to study the loss of New Jersey jobs through outsourcing and off-shoring.

Whereas, In recent years, a number of companies have replaced highly-skilled workers from New Jersey with lower-paid, foreign laborers, in a practice known as outsourcing or off-shoring; and

Whereas, These outsourcing trends coincide with the U.S. job market's longest slump since the 1930's; and

Whereas, Many white-collar occupations, including technology and computer specialists, financial analysts, accountants, office support, and call-center employees are among the most vulnerable to outsourcing; and

Whereas, The preservation of jobs in New Jersey is of critical importance to the economic well-being of the State; and

Whereas, The economic dislocation caused by a company outsourcing jobs threatens the health, safety, and welfare of the people in this State; and

Whereas, Forrester Research, Inc. predicts that 3.3 million U.S. jobs will be sent offshore by 2015, accounting for 2 percent of the entire workforce and $136 billion in wages; now, therefore,

    Be It Resolved by the General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

    1. There is created an Assembly Study Commission known as the "Outsourcing and Off-shoring Commission." The commission shall consist of seven members, to be appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly as follows: three members of the General Assembly, not more than two of whom shall be of the same political party; one member from the New Jersey Business and Industry Association; one member from the New Jersey State Chamber of Commerce; and two members from the New Jersey State AFL-CIO, one of whom shall be from a union representing public employees.

    2. All appointments shall be made within 60 days after the effective date of this resolution. Vacancies in the membership of the commission shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointments were made. Members shall serve without compensation.

    3. The commission shall organize within 30 days after the appointment of its members and shall select a chairperson and a vice- chairperson from among its members, and a secretary who need not be a member of the commission.

    4. The commission shall conduct no less than three public hearings in furtherance of its general purpose, to be held in the Northern, Central and Southern regions of New Jersey, to elicit the testimony of interested groups and the general public at such times as it shall designate.

    5. It shall be the duty of the commission to study the issues associated with the practices of outsourcing and off-shoring including but not limited to:

    a. reviewing the impact of outsourcing and off-shoring on private and public employers and employees in the State;

    b. studying ways to reduce outsourcing and off-shoring in the State;

    c. determining which employment sectors are most affected by outsourcing and off-shoring issues;

    d. identifying outsourcing and off-shoring issues that can be controlled or addressed by State law or regulation; and

    e. providing recommendations concerning steps that need to be taken to ensure that outsourcing and off-shoring practices do not have a detrimental impact on the employers and employees in the State of New Jersey.

    6. The commission shall prepare and submit a final report containing its findings and recommendations, including any recommendations for legislation, to the Speaker and Minority Leader of the General Assembly no later than nine months following its organizational meeting.

    7. This resolution shall take effect immediately and shall expire 30 days after the submission of the final report of the commission.

STATEMENT

    In recent years, a number of companies have replaced highly-skilled workers from New Jersey with lower-paid, foreign laborers, in a practice known as outsourcing. These outsourcing trends coincide with the U.S. job market's longest slump since the 1930's. As a result, many white-collar occupations, including technology and computer specialists, financial analysts, accountants, office support and call-center employees are among the most vulnerable to outsourcing. As the preservation of jobs in New Jersey is of critical importance to the economic well-being of the State and the economic dislocation caused by a company outsourcing jobs threatens the health, safety, and welfare of the people in this State, the public interest will be best served by studying this issue as comprehensibly as possible. This resolution provides for a study to determine the problems faced as a result of outsourcing and off-shoring, and to explore possible solutions.

    This resolution creates a commission to be known as the "Outsourcing and Off-shoring Commission." The commission shall consist of seven members appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly as follows: three members of the General Assembly not more than two of whom shall be of the same political party; one member from the New Jersey Business and Industry Association; one member from the New Jersey State Chamber of Commerce; and two members from the New Jersey State AFL-CIO, one of whom shall be from a union representing public employees.

    The commission will study ways to reduce outsourcing and off-shoring in the State; determine which employment sectors are most affected by outsourcing and off-shoring issues; identify outsourcing and off-shoring issues that can be controlled or addressed by State law or regulation and provide recommendations concerning steps that need to be taken to ensure that outsourcing and off-shoring practices do not have a detrimental impact on the employers and employees in the State of New Jersey.

    The commission shall prepare and submit a final report containing its findings and recommendations, including recommendations for legislation, to the Speaker and Minority Leader of the General Assembly no later than nine months following its organizational meeting.