SENATE BILL NO. 2476

(Second Reprint)

 

 

To the Senate:

Pursuant to Article V, Section I, Paragraph 14 of the New Jersey Constitution, I am returning Senate Bill No. 2476 (Second Reprint) with my recommendations for reconsideration.

     Senate Bill No. 2476 (Second Reprint), the “Thriving By Three Act,” establishes two grant programs dedicated to incentivizing the expansion of available quality infant and toddler child care throughout the State.  Under the first program, the Economic Development Authority (“EDA”) would provide grants to enable the renovation, improvement, expansion, or reconstruction of facilities in order to increase the number of infant and toddler child care slots or classrooms in those facilities.  Under the second program, the Department of Human Services (“DHS”) would provide grants to help fund and maintain new high-quality infant and toddler child care slots, whether created through the EDA program or by other means.  DHS grants would be used primarily to purchase equipment, recruit, pay or train staff, and support other initiatives related to expanding infant and toddler child care capacity.  All grantees would have to be participating in, or apply to participate in, the State’s child care quality rating and improvement system, Grow NJ Kids.  

     I commend the bill’s sponsors for their dedication to infant and toddler child care.  I wholeheartedly agree that the State should prioritize incentivizing the development not only of more infant and toddler child care capacity, but also of more high‑quality infant and toddler child care itself.  In my view, this is best achieved by focusing funds on those with the most expertise in infant and toddler development:  licensed child care providers, registered family day care providers, and Head Start Programs. Accordingly, I suggest amending Senate Bill No. 2476 (Second Reprint) to limit EDA’s and DHS’s grant programs to licensed child care providers, registered family day care providers, and Head Start Programs.  My recommended revisions will ensure that the funds appropriated in this bill are directed where they are needed most and where they will be most effectively utilized.

Therefore, I herewith return Senate Bill No. 2476 (Second Reprint) and recommend that it be amended as follows:

Page 5, Section 3, Line 24:          After “providers,” insert “and”     

 

Page 5, Section 3, Lines 24-25:      Delete “, charter schools, renaissance schools, and school districts”

 

Page 5, Section 3, Line_26:          After “Providers” delete “,” and insert “and”

 

Page 5, Section 3, Line 26:          Delete “, schools, and school districts”

 

Page 5, Section 3, Line_36:         After “provider,” insert “or”

                               

 

Page 5, Section 3, Lines 36-37:      Delete “, charter school, renaissance school, or school district”

 

Page 6, Section 3, Line_2:           After “providers” delete “,” and insert “and”

 

Page 6, Section 3, Line 2:           Delete “, schools, and school districts”

 

Page 6, Section 4, Line 13:          Delete “centers” and insert “providers”

 

Page 6, Section 4, Line 14:          After “providers,” insert “and”

 

Page 6, Section 4, Lines 14-15:      Delete “, and school districts”

 

Page 6, Section 4, Line 16:          After “Providers” delete “,” and insert “and”

 

Page 6, Section 4, Line 16:          Delete “, schools, and school districts”

 

Page 6, Section 4, Line 26:          After “provider,” insert “or”

 

Page 6, Section 4, Lines 26-27:      Delete “, charter school, renaissance school, or school district”

 

Page 7, Section 4, Line 36:          After “providers” delete “,” and insert “and”

 

Page 7, Section 4, Line 36:          Delete “, schools, and school districts”

 

Page 7, Section 5, Line 48:          After day care providers,” insert “and”

 

Page 8, Section 5, Lines 1-2:        Delete “, charter schools, renaissance schools, and school districts”

 

Page 8, Section 6, Line 7:           After “day care provider,” insert “or”

 

Page 8, Section 6, Line 8:           Delete “, charter school, renaissance school, or school district”

 

Page 8, Section 6, Line 10:          After “day care provider,” insert “or”

 

Page 8, Section 6, Line 11:          Delete “, charter school, renaissance school, or school district”

 

Page 8, Section 6, Line 12:          After “provider’s” delete “,” and insert “or”

 

Page 8, Section 6, Lines 12-13:      Delete “, school’s, or school district’s”

 

Page 8, Section 6, Line 19:          After “provider” delete “,” and insert “or”

 

Page 8, Section 6, Lines 19-20:      Delete “, school, or school district”

 

Page 8, Section 7, Line 33:          After “day care providers,” insert “and”

 

Page 8, Section 7, Lines 33-34:      After “programs” delete “, charter schools, renaissance schools, and school districts”

 

Page 9, Section 9, Line 2:           Delete “, which shall be used by the department”

 

Page 9, Section 9, Line 7:           Delete “Division of Disaster Recovery and Mitigation in the”

 

Page 9, Section 9, Line 8:           Delete in its entirety

 

Page 9, Section 9, Line 9:           Delete “available to and used by the”

 

Page 9, Section 9, Line 14:          Delete “. The” and insert “;”

 

Page 9, Section 9, Lines 15-18:      Delete in their entirety

 

                                Respectfully,

     [seal]

                                /s/ Philip D. Murphy

 

                                Governor

 

 

Attest:

 

/s/ Parimal Garg

 

Chief Counsel to the Governor