Bill Text: NJ A4949 | 2022-2023 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Requires Director of Division of Housing and Community Resources in DCA to establish grant program to encourage municipalities to develop recreational sports and STEM programs for children; appropriates $10 million.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 4-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2023-06-05 - Reported and Referred to Assembly State and Local Government Committee [A4949 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2022-A4949-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman BENJIE E. WIMBERLY
District 35 (Bergen and Passaic)
Assemblywoman ANNETTE QUIJANO
District 20 (Union)
SYNOPSIS
Requires Director of Division of Housing and Community Resources in DCA to establish grant program to encourage municipalities to develop recreational sports and STEM programs for children; appropriates $10 million.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act establishing a grant program to promote municipal recreational sports and STEM programs for children, supplementing Title 52 of the Revised Statutes, and making an appropriation.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. The Legislature finds and declares that:
a. recreational sports and athletics programs often serve an integral role in the development of children. In addition to providing healthy forms of exercise, recreational sports and athletics foster friendships and camaraderie while promoting teamwork, resiliency, and fair play, and instill the value of competition. The benefits and values of participating in recreational sports and athletics programs should be actively promoted by local governments and made available to all children;
b. the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) field has become extremely important for the success of the innovation economy both in New Jersey and the United States, and STEM education is critical in developing a globally competitive workforce in the 21st century. Providing children with local opportunities to participate in youth-focused recreational STEM programs provides a creative outlet for children, encourages children to pursue degrees and careers in STEM fields, and is critical for realizing greater economic innovation, success, and equality; and
c. recreational sports and athletics programs, and youth-focused recreational STEM programs, are critical to the physical and mental health of children. The programs provide children with opportunities to interact socially with other children, form friendships and build trusting relationships, and are an effective means to combat feelings of depression, loneliness, and isolation.
2. a. The Director of the Division of Housing and Community Resources in the Department of Community Affairs shall establish a competitive matching grant program to encourage municipalities to develop and administer recreational sports and athletics programs, and science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) programs for local children. The STEM programs shall be youth-based, recreational programs and shall focus on creative, age-appropriate and entertaining activities, including but not limited to, robot-building, 3D printing toys, and Lego programs. The purpose of the matching grant program shall be to provide a dollar-for-dollar match in grant funding to local governments which develop and administer municipal-based recreational sports and athletics programs or STEM programs for municipal children.
b. To participate in the grant program established pursuant to subsection a. of this section, the governing body of a municipality shall submit an application to the division in a manner and on such forms as determined by the director. An application shall include information detailing the municipality's proposed plans for the grant funding, including, but not limited to:
(1) identifying the specific recreational sports and athletic programs or STEM programs that the municipality intends to develop and administer;
(2) the amount of the grant funding being sought by the municipality;
(3) the proposed sources of matching funding to be used by the municipality to offer the recreational sports and athletic programs or STEM programs; and
(4) a description of how the grant funding will be used to develop and administer the recreational sports and athletic programs and STEM programs, including: the specific locations the municipality plans to implement the programs, including any public libraries, recreation departments, or other public buildings; the anticipated number, if determinable, of participants each program will generate; specific measures the municipality will take to maximize promotion and awareness of the programs; any amounts necessary to compensate a program supervisor and to train non-paid volunteers; and measures the municipality intends to take to ensure the programs are offered for free or for reduced prices.
c. After reviewing the applications submitted pursuant to subsection b. of this section, the director shall select municipalities in each of the northern, southern, and central regions of the State, to participate in the program and shall seek a cross section of programs from urban, suburban, and rural areas of the State. In making the determination, the director shall designate factors concerning the selection of grant recipients including, but not limited to, the municipal contribution to the development and administration of the programs, the cost effectiveness of the programs, and the municipality's efforts to develop and administer the programs to as many local children as possible.
d. The director shall develop a list of municipal costs that are eligible for matching grant funds including, but not limited to, sports and athletics equipment, field and equipment maintenance, insurance, lighting, salary for the program supervisor, volunteer training, and any other costs the director deems appropriate.
3. a. Within one year of receiving a grant pursuant to section 2 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), each participating municipality shall submit a report to the Director of the Division of Housing and Community Resources in the Department of Community Affairs, in a manner and on such forms as determined by the director, detailing:
(1) the expenditures of the grant funds under the program;
(2) the total number of recreational sports and athletics programs and STEM programs that have been: developed and are operational; developed, but are not yet operational; and the total number of additional recreational sports and athletics programs and STEM programs the municipality intends to develop and administer; and
(3) the impact, if determinable, that the development and administration of recreational sports and athletics programs and STEM programs has had in increasing participation of children in those municipal programs.
b. The director shall compile the reports submitted pursuant to subsection a. of this section for inclusion in a comparative profile of the participating municipalities and shall post the profile for public inspection on the division's Internet website in an easily accessible location.
c. Within one year of posting the comparative profile required pursuant to subsection b. of this section, the director shall submit a report to the Governor, and, pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), the Legislature. The report shall contain information on the implementation of the grant program, including a list of best practices concerning the promotion and participation of children in municipal recreational sports and athletics programs and STEM programs. The director shall post the report for public inspection on the division's Internet website in an easily accessible location.
4. Notwithstanding the provisions of any Green Acres program for the purchase of land for recreation and conservation purposes pursuant to P.L.1961, c.45 (C.13:8A-1 et seq.), P.L.1971, c.419 (C.13:8A-19 et seq.), P.L.1975, c.155 (C.13:8A-35 et seq.), any Green Acres bond act , and P.L.1999, c.152 (C.13:8C-1 et al .), no participation fee shall be charged by the municipality for any person participating in a recreational sports and athletics program or STEM program for local children established pursuant to section 2 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill); however, the Director of the Division of Housing and Community Resources may establish a list of premium services for which the municipality may charge a specialty fee, including, but not limited to, use of a scoreboard, a public address system, or nighttime lighting of fields.
5. There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Division of Housing and Community Resources in the Department of Community Affairs, the sum of $10,000,000 to effectuate the purposes of this act.
6. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill requires the Director of Division of Housing and Community Resources (director) in DCA to establish a competitive grant program to encourage municipalities to develop recreational sports and athletics programs and STEM programs for children. The bill provides that the STEM programs are to be youth-based, recreational programs and that focus on creative, age-appropriate and entertaining activities, including but not limited to, robot-building, 3D printing toys, and Lego programs. Under the bill, to participate in the grant program, the governing body of a municipality is required to submit an application to the division with information detailing the municipality's proposed plans for the grant funding, including, but not limited to:
· identifying the specific recreational sports and athletic programs or STEM programs that the municipality intends to develop and administer;
· the amount of the grant funding being sought by the municipality;
· the proposed sources of matching funding to be used by the municipality to offer the recreational sports and athletic programs or STEM programs; and
· a description of how the grant funding will be used to develop and administer the recreational sports and athletic programs and STEM programs.
Under the bill, after reviewing the applications, the director, in consultation with the commissioner, will select municipalities in each of the northern, southern, and central regions of the State, to participate in the program and is required to seek a cross section from urban, suburban, and rural areas of the State. The director is required to develop a list of municipal costs that are eligible for matching grant funds including, but not limited to, sports and athletics equipment, field and equipment maintenance, insurance, lighting, salary for the program supervisor, volunteer training, and any other costs the director deems appropriate.
Within one year of receiving a grant, each participating municipality is required to submit a report to the director, detailing:
· the expenditures of the grant funds under the program;
· the total number of recreational sports and athletics programs and STEM programs that have been: developed and are operational; developed, but are not yet operational; and the total number of additional recreational sports and athletics programs and STEM programs the municipality intends to develop and administer; and
· the impact, if determinable, that the development and administration of recreational sports and athletics programs and STEM programs has had in increasing participation of children in those municipal programs.
The bill requires the director to compile the reports submitted for inclusion in a comparative profile of the participating municipalities and to post the profile for public inspection on the division's Internet website in an easily accessible location. The bill further requires the director to report to the Governor and the Legislature on the grant program.
The bill specifies that, notwithstanding the provisions of any Green Acres program for the purchase of land for recreation and conservation purposes, any Green Acres bond act, and P.L.1999, c.152 (C.13:8C-1 et al.), a municipality may not charge a participation fee for any person participating in a recreational sports and athletics program or STEM program for local children established pursuant to this bill. However, the bill specifies that the director may establish a list of premium services for which the municipality may charge a specialty fee, including, but not limited to, use of a scoreboard, a public address system, or nighttime lighting of fields.
