Bill Text: NJ A5153 | 2026-2027 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Permits unexpended State aid for nonpublic school nursing services and nonpublic school security services to be used to support other program.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3)
Status: (Introduced) 2026-05-28 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Education Committee [A5153 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2026-A5153-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman ALEXANDER "AVI" SCHNALL
District 30 (Monmouth and Ocean)
Assemblywoman VERLINA REYNOLDS-JACKSON
District 15 (Hunterdon and Mercer)
Assemblyman DONALD A. GUARDIAN
District 2 (Atlantic)
SYNOPSIS
Permits unexpended State aid for nonpublic school nursing services and nonpublic school security services to be used to support other program.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning State aid for nonpublic schools and amending P.L.1991, c.226 and P.L.2016, c.49.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Section 9 of P.L.1991, c.226 (C.18A:40-31) is amended to read as follows:
9. a. The support limit for the 1997-98 school year shall be $61.44. For each school year thereafter the commissioner shall determine the support limit by multiplying the support limit for the previous school year times the sum of 1.0 plus the average annual percentage increase in the consumer price index for the New York and Philadelphia areas during the fiscal year preceding the prebudget year as reported by the United States Department of Labor.
b. On or before November 5 of each year, each board of education shall forward to the commissioner an estimate of the cost of providing, during the next school year, the services required pursuant to this act and the number of pupils attending nonpublic schools located within the district as of the last school day of October of the current school year, excluding those pupils who have refused nursing services pursuant to section 8 of [this act] P.L.1991, c.226 (C.18A:40-30). The commissioner shall provide State aid to each school district in an amount equal to the number of nonpublic school pupils within the district identified by the district on or before November 5 multiplied by the State support limit. In the event that the expenditure incurred by any district is less than the amount of State aid received, the district may use the unexpended State aid for nonpublic school security services expenditures under P.L.2016, c.49 (C.18A:58-37.8 et seq.). If the expenditures incurred by any district are less than the total amount of State aid for these programs, the district shall refund the unexpended State aid after the completion of the school year, but not later than December 1 of the following school year.
c. If in any year, the amount of State aid appropriated is insufficient to carry out in full the provisions of [this act] P.L.1991, c.226 (C.18A:40-23 et seq.), the commissioner shall apportion that appropriation among the districts in proportion to the State aid each district would have received had the full amount of State aid been appropriated. In any year, no district shall be required to make expenditures for the purposes of this act in excess of the amount of State aid received for these purposes.
(cf: P.L.1996, c.138, s.69)
2. Section 5 of P.L.2016, c.49 (C.18A:58-37.12) is amended to read as follows:
5. a. The support limit for the 2016-2017 school year shall be $75. For each school year thereafter the commissioner shall determine the support limit by multiplying the support limit for the previous school year times the sum of 1.0 plus the average annual percentage increase in the consumer price index for the New York and Philadelphia areas during the fiscal year preceding the prebudget year as reported by the United States Department of Labor.
b. On or before November 5 of each year, each board of education shall forward to the Commissioner of Education an estimate of the cost of providing, during the next school year, the security services, equipment, or technology required pursuant to this act and the number of students attending nonpublic schools located within the district as of the last school day of October of the current school year. The commissioner shall provide State aid to each school district in an amount equal to the number of nonpublic school students within the district identified by the district on or before November 5 multiplied by the State support limit. In the event that the expenditure incurred by any district is less than the amount of State aid received, the district may use the unexpended State aid for nonpublic school nursing services expenditures under P.L.1991, c.226 (C.18A:40-23 et seq.). If the expenditures incurred by any district are less than the total amount of State aid for these programs, the district shall refund the unexpended State aid after the completion of the school year, but not later than December 1 of the following school year.
c. If in any year, the amount of State aid appropriated is insufficient to carry out in full the provisions of [this act] P.L.2016, c.49 (C.18A:58-37.8 et seq.), the commissioner shall apportion that appropriation among the districts in proportion to the State aid each district would have received had the full amount of State aid been appropriated. In any year, no district shall be required to make expenditures for the purposes of this act in excess of the amount of State aid received for these purposes.
(cf: P.L.2016, c.49, s.5)
3. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill would allow unexpended State aid for either the nonpublic school nursing services aid program or the nonpublic school security aid program to be used to support the services provided under the other program. Under current law, in the event that the expenditures incurred by a school district are less than the State aid received to support required nursing or security services provided to nonpublic schools, the district is required to refund the unexpended State aid after the completion of the school year. This bill would permit unexpended funds in either program to be used to support expenditures in the other program, before those funds are required to be refunded to the State.
