SENATE COMMUNITY AND URBAN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

SENATE, No. 1786

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  DECEMBER 4, 2025

      The Senate Community and Urban Affairs Committee reports favorably Senate Bill No. 1786.

      As reported, this bill establishes the “Municipal Community Center Grant Program” in the Division of Housing and Community Resources in the Department of Community Affairs.  This program is to annually provide grants to municipalities for use towards the construction of new community centers.

      The bill provides a priority in the award of grants to municipalities that currently lack community centers or have an insufficient number of these facilities relative to the population of the municipality.

      The bill requires the Department of Community Affairs to annually request, as part of its annual budget proposal, a minimum of $10 million to fund the grants authorized by the bill.  The bill also requires the department and the Division of Housing and Community Resources to pursue and utilize any available federal, State, local, and private funding for the grants.

      This bill was pre-filed for introduction in the 2024-2025 session pending technical review.  As reported, the bill includes the changes required by technical review, which has been performed.