There is created in the Division of Consumer Affairs in the Department of Law and Public Safety a Joint Committee of Architects and Engineers which shall consist of five members, two of whom shall be licensed architect members of the New Jersey State Board of Architects, two of whom shall be professional engineer members of the State Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors and one of whom shall be appointed by the Governor.
The professional members shall be appointed by their respective board presidents with the advice and consent of a majority of their respective boards. They shall serve at the discretion of their respective boards during their terms of office.
The gubernatorial appointment shall be a resident of this State with experience as an arbitrator and shall not be a licensed architect, professional engineer, or a closely allied professional. The gubernatorial appointment shall serve from the date of appointment for a term of five years and shall not serve for more than two consecutive terms. The gubernatorial appointment may be removed for cause by the Governor.
An alternate member shall be chosen from each board in the same manner as the professional members. An alternate member may represent the appointing board when a professional member is absent from a joint committee meeting. While acting in this capacity the alternate member shall enjoy all the rights and privileges of a voting professional member.
The gubernatorial appointment with an equal number of architect and engineer professional members present shall constitute a quorum. No joint committee business shall be conducted without a quorum.
The joint committee shall meet at least six times a year, except that it shall meet no less than once every two months.
The joint committee members shall be entitled to receive per diem fees and expenses equivalent to fees paid to members of the professional and occupational licensing boards pursuant to section 2 of P.L. 1977, c.285 (C.45:1-2.5).
The cost of operation of the joint committee shall be borne equally by the boards which shall adopt such fees by regulation as are necessary to fund such operation.
N.J.S. § 45:4B-4