Section 83-M. Legislative task force on demographic research and reapportionment

1. The legislature hereby finds and declares that:  (a)
  there  is  a need for intensive and thorough legislative study, research
  and inquiry into the techniques and methodology to be used by the bureau
  of the census of the United States commerce department in  carrying  out
  the  decennial  federal  census;  (b) a technical plan will be needed to
  meet the requirements of a legislative timetable for  a  reapportionment
  of  the senate and assembly districts and the congressional districts of
  the state based on such census; and (c) the task force herein  continued
  is  necessary  to  assist  the  legislature  in  the  performance of its
  responsibilities and in the conduct  of  legislative  research  projects
  relating thereto.
    2.   The   legislative   task   force   on  demographic  research  and
  reapportionment is hereby continued, consisting of six members  of  whom
  two  shall be appointed by the temporary president of the senate, two by
  the speaker of the assembly and one each by the minority leader  of  the
  senate  and  the minority leader of the assembly. The appointments shall
  be of members of the respective houses of the legislature,  except  that
  one  member  appointed  by the temporary president of the senate and one
  member appointed by the speaker of the assembly shall not be members  of
  the  legislature.  A member of the senate appointed to the task force by
  the temporary president of the senate  and  a  member  of  the  assembly
  appointed  to  the  task  force  by the speaker of the assembly shall be
  designated by each to serve as the co-chairmen of the task  force.  Each
  member of the task force who is not a member of the legislature shall be
  entitled  to  receive  actual  and  necessary  expenses  incurred in the
  discharge of his  duties  and  shall  be  entitled  to  compensation  as
  determined  by  the  co-chairmen  within  the  appropriations  available
  therefor, except that such member, who is serving in such capacity in  a
  transient,  occasional  and  incidental manner, shall not be entitled to
  receive more than the actual and  necessary  expenses  incurred  in  the
  discharge of his duties.
    3.  The  task  force  shall  engage in such research studies and other
  activities as its co-chairmen may deem necessary or appropriate  in  the
  preparation  and  formulation  of  a  reapportionment  plan for the next
  ensuing  reapportionment  of   senate   and   assembly   districts   and
  congressional  districts  of  the state and in the utilization of census
  and other demographic and statistical data for policy analysis,  program
  development and program evaluation purposes for the legislature.
    4.  The  co-chairmen  of  the  task  force  may employ such personnel,
  experts and consultants as may be necessary for the performance  of  its
  work  and  shall  fix their compensation within the amounts appropriated
  therefor.
    5. The primary function of the task force  shall  be  to  compile  and
  analyze  data, conduct research for and make reports and recommendations
  to the legislature, legislative commissions and other  legislative  task
  forces.
    6. The task force, with the approval of its co-chairmen and subject to
  guidelines  submitted  by  the co-chairmen and approved by the temporary
  president of the senate and speaker of the assembly, may  sell  surveys,
  data,  copies  of tabulations and other special statistical compilations
  and materials to departments, agencies and other  entities  of  federal,
  state  or  local government, of foreign countries, and to public benefit
  corporations, or other public, not-for-profit and  private  persons  and
  agencies,  upon payment of fees at least sufficient to pay the actual or
  estimated cost of such projects. In furtherance of such sale,  the  task
  force,  with  the approval of its co-chairmen, may execute contracts for
  such purpose. Any contract executed heretofore by the task force or  the

  advisory  task  force  on  reapportionment,  without  express  statutory
  authorization, of a nature similar in import as the  contract  for  sale
  herein  authorized  is  hereby  validated,  ratified and confirmed as an
  exercise  of the inherent power of such task force or such advisory task
  force to execute such contract. The co-chairmen shall take  such  action
  as  shall  be  necessary  to  assure  that any survey, data, tabulation,
  special statistical compilation or  material  made  available  for  sale
  shall  not  identify  the name of any corporation, company, association,
  firm,  partnership,  proprietorship,  society,  joint   stock   company,
  individual, or other organization or entity.
    7.  Moneys  heretofore  or  hereafter  received by or on behalf of the
  legislative task force on demographic research and reapportionment  from
  the  sale  of  surveys,  data,  copies  of tabulations and other special
  statistical compilations and materials  available  to  such  task  force
  shall  be  deposited  to the credit of the legislative computer services
  fund established by section ninety-seven-uu of the  state  finance  law.
  The  moneys  hereby  credited to such fund may be made available for the
  legislative task force on demographic research and  reapportionment  and
  shall,  when made available, be payable out of the state treasury on the
  audit and warrant of the comptroller in the manner provided  by  section
  ninety-seven-uu of the state finance law.
    8.  The  co-chairmen  of  the  task  force  are  hereby authorized and
  empowered to make and sign any agreements in the name and on  behalf  of
  the  task  force  and  to do and perform any acts that may be necessary,
  desirable or proper to carry out the powers, purposes and objectives  of
  the task force and the provisions thereof.
    9.  The task force, with the approval of its co-chairmen, may complete
  any contract executed and conduct any business undertaken  or  commenced
  by  the  legislature  or  the  advisory  task  force  on reapportionment
  pertaining to or connected with the reapportionment and readjustment  or
  alteration  of  senate and assembly and congressional districts prior to
  the enactment of these provisions  into  law,  and  the  same  shall  be
  completed  and conducted in the same manner and under the same terms and
  conditions and with the same effect as if completed and conducted by the
  legislature or such advisory task force.
    10. The task force may hold public and private hearings and  otherwise
  have all of the powers of a legislative committee under this chapter.
    11. The co-chairmen of the task force may request and receive from any
  court,  department, division, board, bureau, commission or agency of the
  state or any political subdivision thereof such assistance and  data  as
  will  enable  the task force to properly carry out its powers and duties
  hereunder.
    12. Employees of the task force shall be considered to be employees of
  the legislature for all purposes.
    * NB Repealed June 30, 2010