A6319

A Supplement to the annual appropriations act for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2026, P.L.2025, c.74.

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

1. In addition to the amounts appropriated under P.L.2025, c.74, the annual appropriations act for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2026, there are appropriated from the General Fund the following amounts for the purposes specified:

10 DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

40 Community Development and Environmental Management

49 Agricultural Resources, Planning, and Regulation

DIRECT STATE SERVICES

05-3350 Food and Nutrition Services ............................... $5,000,000

Total Direct State Services Appropriation,

Agricultural Resources, Planning, and Regulation $5,000,000

Direct State Services:

Special Purpose:

05 Food Security Research and Innovation................... ............................................................. ($5,000,000)

The amount hereinabove appropriated for Food Security Research and Innovation shall be used by the Office of the Food Security Advocate to design and implement research projects, pilot programs, public-private partnerships, and grant programs within the State. Research projects and programs shall be designed by the Office of the Food Security Advocate based on identified needs derived from strategic planning and previous research and evaluation that has been conducted by the Office of the Food Security Advocate. Research projects shall be determined by the Executive Director of the Office of the Food Security Advocate in accordance with the Office of the Food Security Advocate's strategic plan. Expenditures for public-private partnerships and grant programs, in amounts determined by the Executive Director, shall be subject to the approval of the Director of the Division of Budget and Accounting.

22 DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY AFFAIRS

50 Economic Planning, Development, and Security

55 Social Services Programs

GRANTS-IN-AID

05-8050 Community Resources............................................. $750,000

Total Grants-in-Aid Appropriation,

Social Services Programs.................................... $750,000

Grants-in-Aid:

05 Bridges NJ................................................ ($250,000)

05 Family Food Relief of New Jersey (Tomchei Shabbos D’Lakewood)......................................... ($500,000)

70 Government Direction, Management, and Control

75 State Subsidies and Financial Aid

STATE AID

04-8030 Local Government Services............................... $44,000,000

Total State Aid Appropriation,

State Subsidies and Financial Aid................. $44,000,000

State Aid:

04 Bergen County Improvement Authority................... ........................................................... ($12,000,000)

04 County of Burlington – Homelessness Stabilization............................................................. ($2,000,000)

04 County of Camden – Southern New Jersey Regional Rehabilitation and Reentry Center (P.L.2023, c.346)........................................................... ($13,000,000)

04 County of Gloucester – Emergency Management Communications Center Enhancements and Vehicle Acquisition.............................................................. ............................................................. ($1,700,000)

04 County of Mercer – Mercer County Connection Building Renovation.......................................... ($2,000,000)

04 County of Middlesex – Network Operations Center............................................................. ($4,000,000)

04 County of Salem – EMS Vehicles……...($300,000)

04 County of Union – Capital Improvements .............. ............................................................. ($9,000,000)

The amount hereinabove appropriated for Bergen County Improvement Authority shall be used to implement facility improvements to modernize the Bergen New Bridge Medical Center to improve patient care and outcomes.

34 DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

30 Educational, Cultural, and Intellectual Development

31 Direct Educational Services and Assistance

STATE AID

03-5120 Miscellaneous Grants-in-Aid............................. $10,000,000

Total State Aid Appropriation,

Direct Educational Services and Assistance. $10,000,000

State Aid:

03 Hudson County Schools of Technology – Capital Improvements................................... ($10,000,000)

54 DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES

30 Educational, Cultural, and Intellectual Development

32 Operation and Support of Educational Institutions

7601 Community Programs

GRANTS-IN-AID

03-7601 Adult Activities..................................................... $1,000,000

Total Grants-in-Aid Appropriation,

Community Programs....................................... $1,000,000

Grants-in-Aid:

03 Larc Norcross School Special Needs Adult Program Transportation.................................... ($1,000,000)

74 DEPARTMENT OF STATE

30 Educational, Cultural, and Intellectual Development

36 Higher Educational Services

2455 Kean University

GRANTS-IN-AID

82-2455 Institutional Support............................................. $5,000,000

Total Grants-in-Aid Appropriation,

Higher Educational Services............................ $5,000,000

Grants-in-Aid:

82 Capital Improvements........................... ($5,000,000)

82 DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY

50 Economic Planning, Development, and Security

51 Economic Planning and Development

GRANTS-IN-AID

38-2043 Economic Development .................................... $51,000,000

Total Grants-in-Aid Appropriation,

Economic Planning and Development........... $51,000,000

Grants-in-Aid:

38 New Jersey’s AI Supercomputer Initiative – Support and Advancement.................................... ($25,000,000)

38 Events Attraction and Marketing,

EDA................................................... ($26,000,000)

The amount hereinabove appropriated for New Jersey’s AI Supercomputer Initiative – Support and Advancement shall be used by the New Jersey Economic Development Authority to provide a grant to an institution of higher education to fund the supplementary infrastructure costs of the institution of higher education of hosting a new state-of-the-art supercomputer, including system management, rental payments, salary costs of engineers, researchers, and support staff, security, user access, and research support, subject to the approval of the Director of the Division of Budget and Accounting.

Notwithstanding any law or regulation to the contrary, of the amount hereinabove appropriated for Events Attraction and Marketing, EDA, an amount not to exceed $20,000,000, subject to the approval of the Director of the Division of Budget and Accounting, shall be allocated to the New York/New Jersey FIFA World Cup Host Committee for the implementation of a series of events that promote Statewide tourism and drive economic development by attracting visitors, stimulating local business activity, and generating revenue that leads to job creation and community investment.

70 Government Direction, Management, and Control

76 Management and Administration

GRANTS-IN-AID

99-2000 Administration and Support Services ................. $1,500,000

Total Grants-in-Aid Appropriation,

Management and Administration..................... $1,500,000

Grants-in-Aid:

99 Old Barracks Museum.......................... ($1,500,000)

2. The following language provisions in section 1 of P.L.2025, c.74, the annual appropriations act for State fiscal year 2026, are amended to read as follows:

10 DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

40 Community Development and Environmental Management

49 Agricultural Resources, Planning, and Regulation

STATE AID

Notwithstanding the provisions of any law to the contrary, 2.5% of the funds hereinabove appropriated for the Working Class Families State Supplement (P.L.2022, c.104, as amended by P.L.2023, c.336) (PTRF) shall be utilized by the Office of the Food Security Advocate for informational and outreach activities to increase awareness of the program. The activities shall include conducting outreach efforts throughout the State and creating promotional materials and other outreach initiatives, to be determined by the Executive Director of the Office of the Food Security Advocate, based on previous school meals research and outreach activities that have been conducted by the Office of the Food Security Advocate in partnership with stakeholders in the State.

22 DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY AFFAIRS

70 Government Direction, Management, and Control

75 State Subsidies and Financial Aid

STATE AID

Notwithstanding the provisions of any law or regulation to the contrary, the amount hereinabove appropriated for Consolidation Implementation shall be allocated to provide reimbursement to local government units that consolidate pursuant to any law, including but not limited to P.L.2007, c.63 (C.40A:65-1 et seq.) and P.L.2009, c.118 (C.54:1-86 et seq.), or to a municipality that is wholly annexed by another municipality pursuant to N.J.S.40A:7-1 et seq., for non-recurring costs that the Director of the Division of Local Government Services, or in the case of a school district consolidation the Commissioner of Education, determines to be necessary to implement such consolidation or annexation, subject to the approval of the Director of the Division of Budget and Accounting; provided, however, that in addition to the amounts hereinabove appropriated, there are appropriated such additional amounts as are determined to be necessary for reimbursement of non-recurring costs associated with local government unit consolidations, subject to the approval of the Director of the Division of Budget and Accounting; provided further that there are appropriated such additional amounts, not to exceed [$20,000,000] $30,000,000, as the Director of the Division of Budget and Accounting, in consultation with the Commissioner of Community Affairs and the Director of the Division of Local Government Services, shall determine to be necessary to design, implement, or maintain one or more voluntary county-based demonstration projects or programs to achieve efficiencies and future cost savings in the provision of services at the local level, including for the operation by a county of a youth detention center with 100 or more residents, as reported on the October 15, 2024 State Facilities Enrollment Count, at which greater than 40 percent of such residents are residents of a county other than the county responsible for the maintenance of the youth detention center.

3. This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

This bill supplements and amends the FY2026 Appropriations Act as follows:

Department of Agriculture:

This bill appropriates $5 million for food security research and innovation to design and implement research projects, pilot programs, public-private partnerships, and grant programs within the State, as determined by the Office of the Food Security Advocate.

Additionally, the bill clarifies the use of the existing 2.5 percent set-aside of the existing $20 million Working Class Families State Supplement appropriation for informational and outreach activities to increase awareness of the program.

Department of Community Affairs:

This bill appropriates $750,000 in Grants-in-Aid funding, $500,000 to Family Food Relief of New Jersey (Tomchei Shabbos D’Lakewood) and $250,000 to Bridges NJ.

This bill also appropriates $54 million in State Aid to various counties:

· Bergen County Improvement Authority (Bergen New Bridge Medical Center Capital Improvements), $12 million;

· County-based projects or programs to achieve efficiencies and future cost savings in the provision of services at the local level, $10 million;

· Camden County (Construction of Southern New Jersey Regional Rehabilitation and Reentry Center), $13 million;

· Union County (Capital Improvements), $9 million;

· Middlesex County (Network Operations Center), $4 million;

· Mercer County (Mercer County Connection Building Renovation), $2 million;

· Burlington County (Homelessness Stabilization), $2 million;

· Gloucester County (Emergency Management Communications Center Enhancements and Vehicle Acquisition), $1.7 million; and

· Salem County (EMS Vehicles), $300,000.

Department of Education:

This bill appropriates $10 million in State Aid to Hudson County Schools of Technology.

Department of Human Services:

This bill appropriates $1 million to the LARC Norcross School for their special needs adult transportation program.

Department of State:

This bill appropriates $5 million to Kean University for capital improvements.

Department of the Treasury:

This bill appropriates $25 million to the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (EDA) to fund the supplementary infrastructure costs of an institution of higher education for hosting a new state-of-the-art supercomputer.

This bill also appropriates $26 million to the EDA for event attraction and marketing, of which $20 million is to be allocated directly to the Host Committee to implement a series of events for promotion of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Finally, this bill appropriates an additional $1.5 million to the Old Barracks Museum.