New Jersey-2022-A4908-Introduced

An Act establishing the Family Empowerment Centers on Disability Grant Program and supplementing chapter 6 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes.

Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

1. a. The Department of Education shall establish and administer the Family Empowerment Centers on Disability Grant Program. The purpose of the program shall be to promote partnerships between school districts and nonprofit organizations to develop Family Empowerment Centers on Disability to support children and young adults with disabilities and their families. Each center shall train and support parents and guardians of children and young adults with disabilities to:

(1) better understand the nature of their child's disabilities and their child's educational and developmental needs;

(2) communicate effectively with personnel responsible for providing special education, early intervention, and related services;

(3) participate in decision-making processes and the development of individualized education programs;

(4) obtain appropriate information regarding the range of options, programs, services, and resources available to assist children and young adults with disabilities and their families;

(5) participate in school improvement and reform activities; and

(6) advocate for their child's needs in a manner that promotes alternative forms of dispute resolution and positive relationships between parents and professionals.

b. To be eligible to participate in the grant program, a school district shall establish a partnership with an organization that:

(1) is a nonprofit organization exempt from federal tax under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code;

(2) is staffed primarily by parents, guardians, and family members of children and young adults with disabilities and by adults with disabilities;

(3) is able to demonstrate the capacity to provide the required services; and

(4) has a majority of board members who are:

(a) parents, guardians, and family members of children and young adults with disabilities who have experience with local or regional disability systems and educational resources;

(b) persons with disabilities; and

c. A school district wishing to participate in the grant program shall submit an application to the department in such form as prescribed by the Commissioner of Education. Each applicant shall be able to demonstrate on the application that:

(1) the need for training and information for underserved parents and guardians of young adults with disabilities in the area will be effectively met;

(2) services will be delivered in a manner that ensures that:

(a) all families have access to services regardless of cultural, linguistic, geographical, socioeconomic, or other similar barriers;

(b) services are provided in accordance with families' linguistic and cultural preferences and needs;

(d) services promote positive parent and professional collaboration with local education agencies, special education local plan areas, and other community agencies.

d. Grant awards shall be allocated on a competitive basis, in a manner to be determined by the commissioner. To the extent possible, the commissioner shall select grant recipients from the northern, central, and southern regions of the State, and shall seek a cross section of districts from urban, suburban, and rural areas.

e. Grant awards shall be based on a formula that:

(1) establishes a minimum base rate of $120,000 for each center to provide the basic services pursuant to subsection a. of this section and serve parents and guardians of children and young adults between the ages of three and 18 years, and to adults between the ages of 19 and 22 years who had an individualized education program prior to their 18th birthday; and

(2) establishes an allocation mechanism that is determined according to the most recent enrollment figures of the school district.

f. The department shall annually submit a report to the Governor, and the Legislature pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1). The report shall contain a summary of progress in developing the centers and the efficacy of the partnership in meeting the needs of children and young adults with disabilities and their families.

2. a. There is established the Family Empowerment and Disability Council in, but not of, the Department of Education. The purpose of the council shall be to support the Family Empowerment Centers on Disability established by grant recipients pursuant to section 1 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).

b. The duties of the council shall be to:

(1) provide central coordination of training and information dissemination, content, and materials for centers;

(2) develop a technical assistance system and activities in accordance with a plan developed in conjunction with the directors of the centers;

(3) ensure that a periodic assessment and evaluation of the service delivery and management of each center is conducted to improve center management and the quality and efficiency of services delivered;

(4) assist each center to build its capacity to serve its community;

(5) develop uniform tracking and data collection systems, which are not duplicative and interface with existing special education data systems, to be utilized by each center;

(6) establish outcome-based evaluation procedures and processes to be used by the department;

(7) conduct media outreach and other public education efforts to promote the goals of the centers; and

(8) support and coordinate system change advocacy efforts at the local, State, and national level.

c. The council shall be comprised of representatives from each of the non-profit organizations partnering with school districts chosen to be grant recipients pursuant to section 1 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).

3. There is created a non-lapsing, revolving fund within the Department of Education known as the Family Empowerment Centers on Disability Fund. All monies appropriated annually by the Legislature, any federal or other grants received by the State, and any other monies made available for the purposes of the grant program shall be deposited in the fund. Monies deposited in the fund shall be used by the department to effectuate the provisions of this act.

4. This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

This bill establishes the Family Empowerment Centers on Disability Grant Program. The purpose of the program is to promote partnerships between school districts and nonprofit organizations to develop Family Empowerment Centers on Disability to support children and young adults with disabilities and their families. Each center is required to train and support parents and guardians of children and young adults with disabilities.

Under the bill, a school district wishing to participate in the grant program to establish a partnership with a nonprofit organization that is staffed primarily by parents, guardians, and family members of children and young adults with disabilities and by adults with disabilities and is able to demonstrate the capacity to provide the required services. School districts are required to submit an application to the Commissioner of Education and demonstrate that: (1) the need for training and information for underserved parents and guardians of young adults with disabilities in the area will be effectively met; (2) services will be delivered in a manner that ensures that all families have equitable access to services, services are provided in accordance with families' linguistic and cultural preferences and needs, services are coordinated with the existing family support organizations within the region, and services promote positive parent and professional collaboration with local education agencies, special education local plan areas, and other community agencies.

The bill also establishes the Family Empowerment and Disability Council to support the Family Empowerment Centers on Disability established by grant recipients. The councils' duties are to: (1) provide central coordination of training and information dissemination, content, and materials for centers; (2) develop a technical assistance system and activities in accordance with a plan developed in conjunction with the directors of the centers; (3) ensure that a periodic assessment and evaluation of the service delivery and management of each center is conducted to improve center management and the quality and efficiency of services delivered; (4) assist each center to build its capacity to serve its community; (5) develop uniform tracking and data collection systems, which are not duplicative and interface with existing special education data systems, to be utilized by each center; (6) establish outcome-based evaluation procedures and processes to be used by the department; (7) conduct media outreach and other public education efforts to promote the goals of the centers; and (8) support and coordinate system change advocacy efforts at the local, State, and national level.