Sponsored by:
Senator JOSEPH A. LAGANA
District 38 (Bergen)
Senator VIN GOPAL
District 11 (Monmouth)
Co-Sponsored by:
Senators Sarlo, Wimberly and Johnson
SYNOPSIS
Establishes nonpublic school nursing services pilot program to provide funding to county consortium of nonpublic schools for nursing services.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As reported by the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee on January 8, 2026, with amendments.
An Act establishing a countywide nonpublic school nursing services pilot program and supplementing chapter 40 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. As used in this section:
“County consortium” or “consortium” means a 1nonprofit entity representing a1 group of nonpublic schools in an eligible county which enroll pupils for whom a board of education is required to provide nursing services pursuant to P.L.1991, c.226 (C.18A:40-23 et seq.) and which enter into an agreement to form a county consortium for the purpose of participating in the pilot program established pursuant to this section.
"Eligible county" means a county of the first class with a population greater than 950,000 according to the latest federal decennial census.
b. 1[The Commissioner of Education shall establish, supervise, and fund] There shall be established1 a three-year nonpublic school nursing services pilot program in the eligible county 1[through the] permitting the establishment or utilization of a1 county consortium 1for the purposes of this section1. Notwithstanding any section of law to the contrary, under the pilot program, 1[the Department of Education] a board of education1 shall disburse 1[directly]1 to the county consortium an amount equal to the nonpublic nursing services aid that 1[would otherwise be] is1 paid to a school district pursuant to section 9 of P.L.1991, c.226 (C.18A:40-31), or that 1[would] is1 otherwise 1[be]1 paid to a school district pursuant to the annual appropriations act, for nursing services provided to students enrolled at a nonpublic school that is part of the county consortium. 1In the event that expenditures incurred by the county consortium for nonpublic school nursing services are less than the amount of nonpublic nursing services aid disbursed to it by boards of education pursuant to this section, the consortium shall refund the unexpended State aid after the completion of any school year during the three-year pilot program period, but not later than December 1 of the following school year.1
c. The 1[commissioner] Commissioner of Education1 shall 1[notify nonpublic schools in the eligible county] publish on the Department of Education’s Internet website notification of the existence1 of the pilot program. The 1[notice] notification1 shall 1[inform the] provide information to1 nonpublic schools 1[of] related to1 the consortium’s responsibility under the pilot program to provide all of the nursing services to the pupils attending a nonpublic school which is part of the county consortium.
d. A nonpublic school shall notify the commissioner, the governing body of the county consortium, and any school districts in which the nonpublic school is located, of the nonpublic school’s intention to participate in the consortium no later than June 1 of the preceding school year.
e. In order to participate in the pilot program, the consortium shall provide to the commissioner 1, at the commissioner’s request,1 the necessary assurances that the consortium is capable of complying with the consortium's nursing responsibilities under the pilot program.
f. The 1[commissioner] consortium1 shall annually enter into a contract with an independent entity to audit the implementation of the pilot program. The audit for the prior school year shall be submitted to the commissioner no later than October 1 of each year and the 1[commissioner] consortium1 shall transmit a copy of the audit to the Governor and to the Legislature pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1).
g. 1[The commissioner shall establish an oversight committee to oversee the operations of the county consortium in implementing the pilot program. The oversight committee shall consist of five members: three members appointed upon the recommendation of the Governor; one member appointed upon the recommendation of the President of the Senate; and one member appointed upon the recommendation of the Speaker of the General Assembly.
h.]1 Two years following the establishment of the pilot program, the commissioner shall submit 1[a report]1 to the Governor, and to the Legislature pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1) 1[. The report shall contain information on the implementation of the pilot program and shall include the commissioner's] a1 recommendation on the advisability of continuing the program and expanding the program Statewide.
1[i.] h.1 The State Board of Education shall promulgate rules pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), 1as may be necessary1 to effectuate the provisions of this act.
2. This act shall take effect immediately.