Bill Text: NJ A1854 | 2014-2015 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Establishes grant program for constructing kitchen facilities in licensed child care centers; appropriates $1,000,000.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 4-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2014-01-16 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Women and Children Committee [A1854 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2014-A1854-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
216th LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2014 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman PAMELA R. LAMPITT
District 6 (Burlington and Camden)
Assemblywoman BONNIE WATSON COLEMAN
District 15 (Hunterdon and Mercer)
Assemblyman CHARLES MAINOR
District 31 (Hudson)
Assemblywoman GABRIELA M. MOSQUERA
District 4 (Camden and Gloucester)
SYNOPSIS
Establishes grant program for constructing kitchen facilities in licensed child care centers; appropriates $1,000,000.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel
An Act establishing a grant program for the construction of kitchen facilities in licensed child care centers, supplementing Title 30 of the Revised Statutes, and making an appropriation.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. The Commissioner of Human Services shall establish a program to provide grants to child care centers licensed pursuant to P.L.1983, c.492 (C.30:5B-1 et seq.) for the design and construction of kitchen facilities and to assist the centers in educating children about good nutrition and encouraging healthy eating habits. The grant program shall be administered by the commissioner.
b. A child care center that elects to participate in the grant program shall submit an application to the commissioner on a form and in a manner prescribed by the commissioner. The application shall, at a minimum, include the following:
(1) a statement by the center that explains its need for a kitchen facility and how it will use that facility to educate children about good nutrition and encourage healthy eating habits;
(2) a description of the age-appropriate curriculum that the center will adopt to educate children about good nutrition and encourage healthy eating habits;
(3) a detailed blueprint of the design and specifications of the kitchen facility;
(4) a statement that the center shall comply with all applicable provisions of the New Jersey Uniform Construction Code, as specified in N.J.A.C.5:23-1.1 et seq., and shall obtain the necessary Sanitary Safety Inspection Certificate, as specified in N.J.A.C.8:24-1.1 et seq., indicating that the kitchen facility shall be in compliance with the applicable requirements of the State Sanitary Code; and
(5) an estimated budget for the design and construction of the kitchen facility and the amount of the requested grant.
c. Upon receipt of an application, the commissioner shall review the application and, subject to the availability of funds, award a grant to each approved grant applicant. The commissioner, to the maximum extent practicable, shall equitably distribute grant awards to successful applicants in the northern, central, and southern regions of the State, including child care centers located in urban, suburban, and rural areas of the State.
2. The Commissioner of Human Services, pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), shall adopt rules and regulations necessary to effectuate the purposes of this act.
3. There is appropriated $1,000,000 from the General Fund to the Department of Human Services to implement the provisions of this act.
4. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill requires the Commissioner of Human Services to establish a program to provide grants to licensed child care centers for the design and construction of kitchen facilities and to assist the centers in educating children about good nutrition and encouraging healthy eating habits. The commissioner would administer the program.
Under the provisions of the bill, a child care center electing to participate in the program is to submit to the commissioner a grant application that meets specific criteria outlined in the bill. Upon review of the application and subject to the availability of funds, the commissioner would award grants to approved applicants. The commissioner, to the maximum extent practicable, would equitably distribute grant awards to successful applicants in the northern, central, and southern regions of the State, including child care centers in urban, suburban, and rural areas of the State.
Finally, the bill appropriates $1,000,000 from the General Fund to the Department of Human Services to implement the provisions of the bill.
