LEGISLATIVE FISCAL ESTIMATE

ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR

ASSEMBLY, No. 4014

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

 

DATED: JUNE 29, 2026

 

 

SUMMARY

 

Synopsis:

Establishes Social Media Research Center at four-year public institution of higher education.

Type of Impact:

Annual State expenditure increase; annual revenue and expenditure increases for the selected four-year public institution of higher education.

Agencies Affected:

Office of the Secretary of Higher Education; Department of Health; selected four-year public institution of higher education.

 

 

Office of Legislative Services Estimate

Fiscal Impact

Annual

 

State Expenditure Increase

Indeterminate

 

Selected Four-Year Public Institution of Higher Education Revenue Increase

Indeterminate

 

Selected Four-Year Public Institution of Higher Education Potential Expenditure Increase

Indeterminate

 

 

·         The Office of Legislative Services (OLS) finds that this bill will lead to an annual State expenditure increase to support the establishment of a Social Media Research Center at a four-year public institution of higher education.  The magnitude of the State expenditure increase will depend on the amount annually appropriated for the center. 

·         The OLS notes that, while the bill does not explicitly include an appropriation for the center, the FY2027 Governor’s Budget recommends a $500,000 appropriation for a Social Media Research Center. 

·         The four-year public institution of higher education selected to house the Social Media Research Center would experience expenditure increases from utilizing the funds provided through the annual appropriations act and any other funds received from grants, gifts, donations, or other public or private sources.

 

BILL DESCRIPTION

 

      This bill establishes a Social Media Research Center at a four-year public institution of higher education for the purpose of carrying out collaborative and interdisciplinary research to create and support the use of impartial and actionable science to advance efforts in understanding social media use, mitigating the negative impacts of social media, and promoting healthy and responsible social media use. The Office of the Secretary of Higher Education, in coordination with the Office of Youth Online Mental Health Safety and Awareness in the Department of Health, is required to choose the four-year public institution of higher education at which the center will be hosted.

The center’s research, analysis, and outreach activities will include: (1) studying the impacts of social media consumption on the residents of the State and mitigating any negative impacts of such consumption; (2) making policy recommendations to the Legislature, Governor, and key stakeholders to address the mental, physical, and behavioral health challenges posed by social media use, particularly for children and adolescents; (3) establishing online courses and training modules concerning safe social media use, which will be made available at no charge to schools in the State; and (4) conducting research, and making recommendations, on such topics as may be required by law related to the impact of addictive social media behaviors on children and minors and the extent to which warning labels and other disclaimers reduce addictive social media behaviors.

 

 

FISCAL ANALYSIS

 

EXECUTIVE BRANCH

 

      None received.

 

OFFICE OF LEGISLATIVE SERVICES

 

      The OLS finds that this bill will lead to an annual State expenditure increase to support the establishment of a Social Media Research Center at a four-year public institution of higher education.  The magnitude of the State expenditure increase will depend on the amount annually appropriated for the center.  The OLS notes that while the bill does not explicitly include an appropriation for the center, the FY2027 Governor’s Budget recommends a $500,000 appropriation for a Social Media Research Center.  Proposed budget language requires the Secretary of Higher Education, in disbursing the appropriation, to select an institution of higher education to study the relationship between digital technology and children’s mental health and wellbeing. 

      The four-year public institution of higher education selected to house the Social Media Research Center would experience expenditure increases from utilizing the funds provided through the annual appropriations act and any other funds received from grants, gifts, donations, or other public or private sources.

      For the purposes of comparison, the OLS notes that there is a recurring appropriation in the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education’s portion of the State budget for the New Jersey Gun Violence Research Center, which is a research center housed at the Rutgers University School of Public Health that provides high-quality, multi-disciplinary research on gun violence causality and prevention.  Since FY2019, full-year expenditures made by this center have ranged between $500,000 and $3 million. 

Section:

Education

Analyst:

Jessica Rueb

Associate Research Analyst

Approved:

Thomas Koenig

Legislative Budget and Finance Officer

 

This legislative fiscal estimate has been produced by the Office of Legislative Services due to the failure of the Executive Branch to respond to our request for a fiscal note.

 

This fiscal estimate has been prepared pursuant to P.L.1980, c.67 (C.52:13B-6 et seq.).