SENATE HEALTH, HUMAN SERVICES AND SENIOR CITIZENS COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

SENATE, No. 3429

with committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  DECEMBER 9, 2024

      The Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee reports favorably and with committee amendments Senate Bill No. 3429.

      This bill requires the Division of Family Development (division) in the Department of Human Services, subject to the availability of funds appropriated in the annual appropriations act for the purposes on the bill, to expand the work, school, and training eligibility requirements of the State’s child care assistance program to provide that an applicant who is a full-time graduate student or a full-time post-graduate student would be eligible to participate in the program, if the applicant meets all other eligible criteria regarding income, assets, and residency.

      Under the bill’s definitions, a student who has been accepted to pursue a course of graduate or post-graduate study at a public or private institution of higher education and is enrolled full-time as a graduate or post-graduate student in good standing at that institution would be considered to meet the program’s work, school, and training eligibility requirements.

      The bill also requires the Department of Human Services to apply for State plan amendments or waivers necessary to secure federal financial participation for State expenditures under the Child Care and Development Block Grant.

      As amended and reported by the committee, Senate Bill No. 3429 is identical to Assembly Bill No. 4544, which was also amended and reported by the committee on this date.

COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS:

      The committee amendments provide that the provisions of the bill are subject to the availability of funds appropriated in the annual appropriations act for the purposes on the bill.

      The committee amendments clarify that the bill is expanding eligibility under the child care subsidy program to include an applicant who is otherwise eligible for the program and who is a full-time graduate student or a full-time post-graduate students, rather than a full-time graduate student and a full-time post-graduate student.

      The committee amendments provide separate definitions for the terms “full-time graduate student” and “full-time post-graduate student,” rather than a single definition as provided in the introduced bill.   The definitions of these separated terms are substantially identical to the definition provided in the introduced bill.

      The committee amendments make technical changes regarding grammar and style.