History

Between 1914 and 1916, most of New Jersey’s counties formed mosquito control commissions. In 1955, a Mosquito Study Commission was established to study the feasibility of creating a commission to deal with mosquito problems which:

a) crossed county lines
b) occurred within State or federally owned properties
c) were beyond the economic capacity of individual counties to deal with

In 1956, following the Study Commission report, the State Mosquito Control Commission was created (L 1956, c135) amended 1977, c366.

Composition

The State Mosquito Control Commission has 10 members. Six members are appointed by the Governor with advice and consent of the Senate. In addition there are four ex-officio members of the Commission including:

1. Commissioner of Department of Environmental Protection
2. Commissioner of Department of Health
3. Secretary of Agriculture
4. Director of New Jersey State Agricultural Experiment Station

Powers and Duties

It shall be the duty of the commission to carry on a continuous study of mosquito control and extermination in the State, to recommend to the Governor and the Legislature, from time to time, changes in legislation which in its judgment may be necessary or desirable to be enacted in order to enforce and carry out mosquito extermination and control work throughout the State, to recommend to the Legislature the amount of money which in its judgment it shall deem necessary and desirable to be appropriated each year by the State for mosquito control purposes and to allocate funds appropriated for State aid to Counties in the performance of such work among the various counties throughout the New Jersey State Agricultural Experiment Station to act in an advisory capacity in all matters pertaining to mosquito extermination and control to cooperate with the agencies of other States and the Federal Government in the elimination of mosquito breeding areas under their control. (L. 1956, c. 1 35, pa.557, 4.)