[First Reprint]

ASSEMBLY, No. 6149

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

221st LEGISLATURE

 

INTRODUCED DECEMBER 4, 2025

 


 

Sponsored by:

TAssemblyman  CHRIS TULLY

District 38 (Bergen)

 

 

 

 

SYNOPSIS

    

Establishes nonpublic school nursing services pilot program to provide funding to county consortium of nonpublic schools for nursing services.

 

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

     As reported by the Assembly Education Committee on December 18, 2025, with amendments.

  


An Act establishing a countywide nonpublic school nursing services pilot program and supplementing chapter 40 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.  As used in this section:

     “County consortium” 1or “consortium”1 means a group of nonpublic schools in an eligible county which enroll pupils for whom 1[nonpublic schools are required to] a board of education is required to provide1 nursing services  pursuant to 1[N.J.S.18A:40-23] P.L.1991, c.226 (C.18A:40-23 et seq.)1 and which enter into an agreement to form a county consortium for the purpose of participating in the pilot program established pursuant to this section.

     "Eligible county" means a county of the first class with a population greater than 950,000 according to the latest federal decennial census.

     b.    The Commissioner of Education shall establish, supervise, and fund a three-year nonpublic school nursing services pilot program in the eligible county through the county consortium.  Notwithstanding any section of law to the contrary, under the pilot program, the Department of Education shall disburse directly to the county consortium an amount equal to the nonpublic nursing services aid that would otherwise be paid to a school district pursuant to section 9 of P.L.1991, c.226 (C.18A:40-31) 1, or that would otherwise be paid to a school district pursuant to the annual appropriations act,1 for nursing services provided to students enrolled at a nonpublic school that is part of the county consortium. 

     c.     The commissioner shall notify nonpublic schools in the eligible county of the pilot program.  The notice shall inform the nonpublic schools of 1[:

     (1)]1 the 1[county]1 consortium’s responsibility under the pilot program to provide all of the nursing services to the pupils attending a nonpublic school which is part of the county consortium 1[; and

     (2)   the requirement that the nonpublic school may not provide courtesy nursing services to a pupil attending a nonpublic school which is part of the county consortium]1.

     d.    A nonpublic school shall notify the commissioner, the governing body of the county consortium, and any school districts in which the nonpublic school is located, of the nonpublic school’s intention to participate in the consortium no later than June 1 of the preceding school year.

     e.     In order to participate in the pilot program, the 1[eligible county] consortium1 shall provide to the commissioner the necessary assurances that the consortium is capable of complying with the consortium's nursing responsibilities under the pilot program.

     f.     The commissioner shall annually enter into a contract with an independent entity to audit the implementation of the pilot program.  The audit for the prior school year shall be submitted to the commissioner no later than October 1 of each year and the commissioner shall transmit a copy of the audit to the Governor and to the Legislature pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1). 

     g.    The commissioner shall establish an oversight committee to oversee the operations of the county consortium in implementing the pilot program.  The oversight committee shall consist of five members: three members appointed upon the recommendation of the Governor; one member appointed upon the recommendation of the President of the Senate; and one member appointed upon the recommendation of the Speaker of the General Assembly.

     h.    Two years following the establishment of the pilot program, the commissioner shall submit a report to the Governor, and to the Legislature pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1). The report shall contain information on the implementation of the pilot program and shall include the commissioner's recommendation on the advisability of continuing the program and expanding the program Statewide.

     i.     The State Board of Education shall promulgate rules pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), to effectuate the provisions of this act.

 

     2.  This act shall take effect immediately.