Bill Text: NJ A5185 | 2024-2025 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Provides for annual fellowship stipends for Direct Support Professional Career Development Program participants.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2025-01-14 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Aging and Human Services Committee [A5185 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2024-A5185-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman LOUIS D. GREENWALD
District 6 (Burlington and Camden)
SYNOPSIS
Provides for annual fellowship stipends for Direct Support Professional Career Development Program participants.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning direct support professionals and amending P.L.2021, c.421.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Section 5 of P.L.2021, c.421 (C.18A:64A-86) is amended to read as follows:
5. a. There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education the sum of $1,000,000 for the purposes of fulfilling the provisions of this act.
Beginning in Fiscal Year 2026, there is annually appropriated from the General Fund to the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education such amounts as are necessary to fulfill the provisions of P.L.2021, c.421 (C.18A:64A-82 et seq.).
b. The Office of the Secretary of Higher Education shall distribute a grant to the New Jersey Community College Consortium for Workforce and Economic Development to establish the Direct Support Professional Career Development Program at a Center for Workforce Innovation, and at the program's additional sites, and annually distribute fellowship funding to cover living expenses for participating individuals[, and establish a fund for] and to support existing direct support professionals to cover costs associated with furthering their education. No more than 10 percent of the funds appropriated pursuant to this section shall be used for administrative expenses. The Secretary of Higher Education shall approve any budget pursuant to this act.
(cf: P.L.2021, c.421, s.5)
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill provides for annual fellowship stipends for Direct Support Professional Career Development Program participants. Direct support professionals provide services and support to persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Current law governing the Direct Support Professional Career Development Program provided for a one time appropriation of $1,000,000 to establish the Direct Support Professional Career Development Program as part of the New Jersey Community College Consortium for Workforce and Economic Development's Pathways to Career Opportunities Initiative. The appropriation also covers living expenses for participating individuals and establishes a fund for existing direct support professionals to cover costs associated with furthering their education.
This bill requires an annual appropriation from the General Fund to the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education in such amounts as are necessary to effectuate the provisions of law governing the Direct Support Professional Career Development Program, including to provide an annual distribution of fellowship funding to cover living expenses for participating individuals and to support existing direct support professionals to cover costs associated with furthering their education.
