State of New Jersey
Executive Order #29

Governor Christine Todd Whitman

WHEREAS, Executive Order No. 45 of Governor Florio creating the Governor's Advisory Council on AIDS ("Advisory Council") expired on June 2, 1994; and

WHEREAS, the presence of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome ("AIDS") and Human Immunodeficiency Virus ("HIV") continue to present a serious public health concern for the State of New Jersey; and

WHEREAS, New Jersey currently ranks fifth in the nation in the total number of its citizens infected with AIDS, third in the nation in pediatric cases of AIDS and first in the nation in the proportion of women with AIDS; and

WHEREAS, the number of AIDS cases in the State as of March 31, 1994 had grown to 20,942 cases, with 482 of those persons affected being children; and

WHEREAS, combating the spread of AIDS and HIV must be considered a public health priority for the State;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, CHRISTINE TODD WHITMAN, Governor of the State of New Jersey, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and by the Statutes of this State, do hereby ORDER and DIRECT:

1. The Advisory Council is hereby continued.

2. The Advisory Council shall consist of the Commissioner of Health, the Commissioner of Corrections, the Commissioner of Education, the Commissioner of Human Services, the Commissioner of Community Affairs, the Commissioner of Insurance, the Attorney General and the Secretary of State or their designees; two members of the New Jersey Senate to be appointed by the Senate President, no more than one of whom shall be from the same political party; two members of the New Jersey General Assembly to be appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly, no more than one of whom shall be from the same political party; and no more than twenty-five public members to be appointed by the Governor. The public members shall consist of educators, representatives of the State's business community, labor representatives, health care and other service providers, representatives of the insurance industry, community leaders and persons who have tested HIV positive. The public members shall serve at the pleasure of the Governor. All members of the Advisory Council shall serve without compensation.

3. The Governor shall designate a Chairperson and Vice Chairperson from among the public members of the Advisory Council.

4. It shall be the duty of the Advisory Council to:

a. advise the Governor on policy issues relating to AIDS;

b. reassess the Department of Health's implementation of its plan to fight AIDS and HIV in the 1990's, and offer recommendations for updating the plan;

c. recommend relevant legislation to the Governor;

d. advise the Governor on the actions needed to coordinate State efforts concerning AIDS and HIV research, prevention and treatment;

e. advise the Executive Branch concerning its relationship with voluntary agencies and private sector entities involved in AIDS and HIV-related activities; and

f. prepare an annual report for the Governor on or before June 30 of each year summarizing its findings and providing any recommendations it deems appropriate.

5. The Advisory Council shall receive administrative staff support from the Department of Health.

6. This Order shall take effect immediately and shall apply retroactively to June 2, 1994.

GIVEN, under my hand and seal
this 1st day of December in the
Year of Our Lord, One Thousand
Nine Hundred and Ninety Four, and
of the Independence of the United
States, the Two Hundred and Eighteenth.

/s/ Christine Todd Whitman
GOVERNOR

Attest:

/s/ Peter Verniero
Chief Counsel to the Governor