SENATE BUDGET AND APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

SENATE, No. 4538

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  JUNE 28, 2026

      The Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee reports favorably Senate Bill No. 4538.

      This bill supplements and amends the FY2026 Appropriations Act as follows:

Legislature:

This bill appropriates $650,000 to the State Commission of Investigation.

Department of Agriculture:

      This bill appropriates $299,000 to Avellana Agroforestry Cooperative for supply chain infrastructure.

Department of Children and Families:

      This bill appropriates $1.8 million to domestic violence housing support, Essex County Family Justice Center, and SAFE in Hunterdon.

Department of Community Affairs:

This bill appropriates $1.1 million in funding to the NJ Community Capital Foreclosure Mitigation Program.  This bill also appropriates approximately $6 million to various nonprofit organizations and approximately $174.1 million to various units of local government, including $135 million for Transitional Aid to Localities.  The bill clarifies that of the amount appropriated for transitional aid, $110.4 million will be provided as loans.  The remaining amount will fund approved applications for aid following needs assessments conducted by the Division of Local Government Services.

Department of Corrections:

This bill appropriates $18.8 million to the Department of Corrections for salaries and wages related to unrealized savings from prison consolidation.

Department of Education:

This bill appropriates approximately $9.2 million to various school districts for capital improvements and operating aid, inclusive of a $3.5 million appropriation from the Property Tax Relief Fund for Charter School Facility Improvements.

      This bill also appropriates $500,000 for an educator employment web portal.

Department of Environmental Protections:

This bill appropriates $700,000 to the Middlesex County Fire Marshal for a foam replacement initiative and $2 million to Essex County for mosquito control, research, administration and operations.

This bill also provides $4 million in additional funds from the Clean Energy Fund to support the Vehicle-to-Grid Pilot program within the Electric School Bus Program.  The funding provides for schools coverage for costs associated with installing eligible battery storage, on-site renewable energy generation, microgrid controllers, and bi-directional capable electric school bus charging technologies.

Department of Health:

      This bill appropriates $5 million in funding to South Jersey Cancer Program for Cooper University Health Care and $17.6 million in funding to various health organizations.

Department of Law and Public Safety:

      This bill appropriates $15 million for Horse Racing Purse Subsidies.

Department of State:

      This bill appropriates approximately $14.8 million to Cooper Medical School of Rowan University and $50 million to University Hospital for increased subsidy support.

      This bill also appropriates $75,000 to Axelrod Performing Arts Center and $200,000 to the New Jersey Fire Museum and Fallen Firefighters Memorial.

Department of Transportation:

      This bill appropriates $100,000 to the County of Essex for transit infrastructure improvements.

Department of Treasury:

This bill appropriates $200,000 to Saint Elizabeth University for facility improvements and $700,000 to Mercer County Community College.

      This bill also amends language enacted by P.L.2025, c.404 for New Jersey’s AI Supercomputer Initiative to allow one or more nonprofit organizations to host the supercomputer.  This bill also adds energy costs as an eligible use of the grant provided through the initiative.

Interdepartmental Accounts:

      This bill appropriates $40 million to the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority for International Events, Improvements and Attraction to support State agencies and units of local government that incur expenses associated with performing host city responsibilities and other 2026 FIFA World Cup related responsibilities.

General Provisions:

      This bill adds general language provisions which authorize a supplemental appropriation from the General Fund to the Cannabis Regulatory, Enforcement Assistance, and Marketplace Modernization Fund  and allow balances within the dedicated fund to be reallocated to fund programs supported by these revenues, as necessary, to provide greater flexibility if anticipated revenues are not realized.

FISCAL IMPACT:

      This bill has not been certified as requiring a fiscal note.