SENATE BUDGET AND APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

SENATE COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR

SENATE, No. 5024

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  JANUARY 8, 2026

      The Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee reports favorably a Senate Committee Substitute for Senate Bill No. 5024.

      As substituted and reported, this bill establishes the Statewide Longitudinal Data System for Education and Workforce Development.  The system is established to maintain linked longitudinal data to inform policy and decisions concerning the improvement of quality of life, education, and employment opportunities for residents of the State. 

      The system would be overseen and maintained by the Statewide Longitudinal Data System Governing Body, which would consist of one representative from each of the following State agencies: the Department of Education, the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education, the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority, and the Department of Labor and Workforce Development.  Each participating agency is required pursuant to the bill to provide data necessary for the purposes of the data system.  Under the bill, the governing body may choose a designee, including but not limited to the John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development at Rutgers University, to maintain the data system.  

      The bill also amends various pieces of State law to authorize the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission to provide certain motor vehicle records for the purposes of the data system.

      As reported by the committee, the committee substitute for Senate Bill No. 5024 is identical to Assembly Bill No. 5802 ACS, which was also reported by the committee on this date.

FISCAL IMPACT:

      The Office of Legislative Services (OLS) determines that this bill may result in State cost increases to support the infrastructure and maintenance of the Statewide Longitudinal Data System for Education and Workforce Development. 

      The OLS notes, however, that annual appropriations acts in recent years have already provided funding for this data system through budget language directing revenue from the Special Education Medicaid Initiative program, as well as additional State funds, to fund costs attributable to the State Longitudinal Data System for Education and Workforce Development.  Since this bill appears to codify the data system that has been funded through the annual appropriations act, it is likely that the State will not experience significant costs above those that are already incurred to support the data system’s costs.