Bill Text: NJ S3566 | 2024-2025 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Requires $1 million annual appropriation to certain educational services commissions for school facilities projects and school security improvements.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-09-12 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Education Committee [S3566 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2024-S3566-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Senator RENEE C. BURGESS
District 28 (Essex and Union)
SYNOPSIS
Requires $1 million annual appropriation to certain educational services commissions for school facilities projects and school security improvements.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning school facilities and security improvement funding for educational services commissions and supplementing P.L.1968, c.243 (C.18A:6-51 et seq.).
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. The Legislature finds and declares that educational services commissions that provide in-classroom instruction and educational services to students with a district of residence that is an SDA district do not receive State funding for school facilities projects or security improvement costs. Educational services commissions that provide in-classroom instruction and educational services to these students have the same facility and security needs as the SDA districts themselves. It is appropriate and equitable to provide direct State funding to these educational services commissions for school facilities projects and school security improvements to avoid shifting funds away from student instruction.
2. a. An educational services commission as defined in section 1 of P.L.1968, c.243 (C.18A:6-51) that provides in-classroom instruction and educational services primarily to students with a school district of residence that is an SDA district shall receive State funds in the amount of $1,000,000 per school year for school facilities projects and school security improvements.
b. There shall be appropriated each State fiscal year from the General Fund to the Department of Education such funds as are necessary to effectuate the provisions of subsection a. of this section.
3. As used in sections 1 and 2 of this act:
"School facility" means and includes any structure, building, or facility used wholly or in part for educational purposes by an educational services commission eligible for State funding pursuant to section 2 of this act and facilities that physically support such structures, buildings and facilities, such as district wastewater treatment facilities, power generating facilities, and steam generating facilities, but shall exclude other facilities.
"School facilities project" means the planning, acquisition, demolition, construction, improvement, alteration, modernization, renovation, reconstruction, or capital maintenance of all or any part of a school facility or of any other personal property necessary for, or ancillary to, any school facility, and shall include fixtures, furnishings and equipment, and shall also include, but is not limited to, site acquisition, site development, the services of design professionals, such as engineers and architects, construction management, legal services, financing costs and administrative costs and expenses incurred in connection with the project.
"SDA district" means an SDA district as defined in section 3 of P.L.2000, c.72 (C.18A:7G-3).
"School security improvements" means improvements to school facilities that are limited to safety and security measures involving building monitoring and communication technology designed to address school crime and the safety of students, staff, and visitors to school facilities. School security improvements shall include: security cameras to monitor the school; an electronic notification system that automatically notifies parents in case of a school-wide emergency; an automatic door locking system for access control; and a badge system for school employees.
4. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill provides State funding to educational services commissions for certain school facilities projects and school security improvements.
Under current law, educational services commissions do not receive direct State funding for school facilities projects or school security improvements. This bill would provide State funds in an amount of $1 million per school year to an educational services commission that provides in-classroom instruction and educational services primarily to students with a school district of residence that is an SDA district. The funds are to be used for school facilities projects and school security improvements.
