SENATE BUDGET AND APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

SENATE, No. 3890

with committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  MARCH 17, 2025

      The Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee reports favorably Senate Bill No. 3890 with committee amendments.

      As amended and reported, this bill requires the Commissioner of Human Services, in consultation with the Secretary of Higher Education, to develop general program information about the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly known as “SNAP.”  The information is to include a link about the program and a link to the website for NJ 211, the Statewide information and referral service for health, emergency, and human services resources and assistance. 

      The bill also requires each public institution of higher education to include with its initial offer of admission and, via email, upon each semester’s registration: (1) the information developed pursuant to the bill’s provisions; and (2) information on any food assistance, pantry, meal swipe, or similar programs offered by the institution or located in the community.

COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS:

      The committee amended the bill to require the information prepared by the Commissioner of Human Services regarding SNAP, in consultation with the Secretary of Higher Education, to include a link to the website for NJ 211, the Statewide information and referral service for health, emergency, and human services resources and assistance.

FISCAL IMPACT:

      The Office of Legislative Services (OLS) finds that this bill may lead to increases in costs to certain public institutions of higher education.  The magnitude of the potential cost increases for a public institution would be dependent on the extent to which the institution does not already comply with the provisions of the bill related to supplying students with information concerning various food assistance programs.  While some public institutions may provide information in a new manner through initial offers of admission and via email each semester as a result of the bill, the OLS finds it likely that supplying this information would not significantly increase costs for public institutions of higher education. 

      The OLS finds that the provisions of the bill requiring the Department of Human Services to develop general information about the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) will likely have no fiscal impact on the department.  The department appears to have already developed information and various resources on the program in a manner that conforms with the bill’s provisions.