Sponsored by:
Assemblyman ANGEL FUENTES
District 5 (Camden and Gloucester)
Assemblywoman VALERIE VAINIERI HUTTLE
District 37 (Bergen)
SYNOPSIS
Expands number of literacy advocacy programs eligible to receive voluntary taxpayer contributions through gross income tax returns.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act expanding the number of literacy advocacy programs eligible to receive voluntary taxpayer contributions through gross income tax returns, and amending and supplementing P.L.2001, c.273 (C.54A:9-25.20).
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Section 1 of P.L.2001, c.273 (C.54A:9-25.20) is amended to read as follows:
1. a. There is established in the Department of the Treasury a special fund to be known as the "Literacy Volunteers of America - New Jersey Fund."
b. [Each] For taxable years beginning before the January 1 next following enactment of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), each taxpayer shall have the opportunity to indicate on the taxpayer's New Jersey gross income tax return that a portion of the taxpayer's tax refund or an enclosed contribution shall be deposited in the special fund.
c. Any costs incurred by the Division of Taxation for collection or administration attributable to this act may be deducted from receipts collected pursuant to this act, as determined by the Director of the Division of Budget and Accounting. The State Treasurer shall deposit net contributions collected pursuant to this act into the "Literacy Volunteers of America - New Jersey Fund."
d. The Legislature shall annually appropriate all funds deposited in the "Literacy Volunteers of America - New Jersey Fund" established pursuant to this section to the Literacy Volunteers of America - New Jersey, Inc., for the purposes of literacy training, technical assistance, and program development.
e. Any balances remaining in the "Literacy Volunteers of America - New Jersey Fund" on the second January 1 following enactment of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill) shall be transferred to the "New Jersey Literacy Fund" created pursuant to section 2 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill) and any amounts contributed to the "Literacy Volunteers of America - New Jersey Fund" on and after that date shall be deemed to be contributed to the "New Jersey Literacy Fund".
(cf: P.L.2001, c.273, s.1)
2. (New section) a. There shall be established in the Department of the Treasury a special fund to be known as the "New Jersey Literacy Fund".
b. Each taxpayer shall have
the opportunity to indicate on the
taxpayer's New Jersey gross income tax return that a portion of the taxpayer's
tax refund or an enclosed contribution shall be deposited in the special fund.
c. Any costs incurred by the Division of Taxation for collection or administration attributable to this act may be deducted from receipts collected pursuant to this act, as determined by the Director of the Division of Budget and Accounting. The State Treasurer shall deposit net contributions collected pursuant to this act into the "New Jersey Literacy Fund".
d. The Legislature shall annually appropriate all funds deposited in the "New Jersey Literacy Fund" to qualified literacy advocacy programs active in the State of New Jersey for the purposes of literacy training, technical assistance, and program development. The State Board of Education shall adopt rules and regulations in accordance with the "Administrative Procedure Act", P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), that define a qualified literacy advocacy program active in the State of New Jersey and shall submit on the first day of each January the list of qualified literacy advocacy programs in the State of New Jersey to the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the General Assembly, the chairperson of the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee, or its successor committee, and the chairperson of the Assembly Appropriations Committee, or its successor committee.
3. This act shall take effect immediately and section 2 of this act shall apply to taxable years commencing on or after January 1 next following enactment.
STATEMENT
This bill expands the number of literacy advocacy programs that are eligible to receive voluntary taxpayer contributions through gross income tax returns from the Literacy Volunteers of America - New Jersey, Inc. to qualified literacy advocacy programs to be defined by the State Board of Education.
P.L.2001, c.273 (C.54A:9-25.20) currently permits taxpayers to indicate on their New Jersey gross income tax returns that a portion of the taxpayers' tax refunds or enclosed contributions should be donated to the Literacy Volunteers of America - New Jersey, Inc. for the purposes of literacy training, technical assistance, and program development. On 2008 gross income tax returns, $11,653 were thus contributed to Literacy Volunteers of America - New Jersey, after $14,115 on 2007 returns and $14,242 on 2006 returns.