Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman VERLINA REYNOLDS-JACKSON
District 15 (Hunterdon and Mercer)
Assemblywoman LINDA S. CARTER
District 22 (Somerset and Union)
Assemblywoman SHAVONDA E. SUMTER
District 35 (Bergen and Passaic)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblyman Venezia
SYNOPSIS
Appropriates $3 million annually to Freedom Schools in New Jersey using funds collected under Social Equity Excise Fee.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning Freedom Schools, and supplementing Title 24 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Notwithstanding the provisions of section 41 of P.L.2021, c.16 (C.24:16I-50) or any other law or regulation to the contrary, revenues collected from the Social Equity Excise Fee pursuant to subsection d. of section 41 of P.L.2021, c.16 (C.24:6I-50) shall be appropriated as follows: $3,000,000 each fiscal year to the Department of State to support funding for Freedom Schools in New Jersey, subject to the approval of the Director of the Division of Budget and Accounting.
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill appropriates $3 million annually, from funds collected from the Social Equity Excise Fee that is assessed on cannabis, to the Department of State to support funding for Freedom Schools in New Jersey.
The Cannabis Regulatory, Enforcement Assistance, and Marketplace Modernization Fund is the repository of several revenues the State collects within the confines of the regulated cannabis retail program. One of the revenues, the Social Equity Excise Fee, is the particular revenue stream to which the Freedom Schools appropriation would be charged.
The New Jersey Office of Faith Based Initiatives Freedom School Project support New Jersey Freedom Schools. Freedom Schools provide education and character-building support to K-12 students and their families by implementing an intensive academic summer program as well as continuous follow up, homework, and tutoring services throughout the academic school year.