Bill Text: NJ A5458 | 2026-2027 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Establishes "Higher Education Deferred Maintenance Fund" to provide funding for deferred maintenance needs at public institutions of higher education.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3)
Status: (Introduced) 2026-09-14 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Higher Education Committee [A5458 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2026-A5458-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman CODY D. MILLER
District 4 (Atlantic, Camden and Gloucester)
Assemblywoman CARMEN THERESA MORALES
District 34 (Essex)
SYNOPSIS
Establishes "Higher Education Deferred Maintenance Fund" to provide funding for deferred maintenance needs at public institutions of higher education.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning higher educational facilities and supplementing Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. As used in this section:
"Deferred maintenance" means scheduled or unscheduled maintenance to facilities that was not performed.
"Deferred maintenance project" means a capital improvement project that addresses deferred maintenance needs.
"Secretary" means the Secretary of Higher Education.
b. No later than 90 days following the enactment of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill) , each public institution of higher education shall develop and submit to the secretary, in a manner and form to be determined by the secretary, a deferred maintenance plan detailing the outstanding deferred maintenance needs of the institution, including an estimated cost of addressing the needs. Each institution's deferred maintenance plan shall be revised and resubmitted to the secretary by December 31 of each fifth year following the enactment of this act, except that if an institution is required to maintain a long-range facilities plan pursuant to section 42 of P.L.2009, c.90 (C.18A:3B-39), the institution may revise and submit its deferred maintenance plan together with any revisions to its long-range facilities plan.
c. The Legislature may, from time to time, appropriate amounts credited to the "Higher Education Deferred Maintenance Fund," established pursuant to section 2 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), for the purpose of supporting the costs of deferred maintenance projects at public institutions of higher education, as detailed in the deferred maintenance plan submitted pursuant to subsection b. of this section. The secretary, in consultation with the Executive Director of the New Jersey Educational Facilities Authority and representatives from public institutions of higher education, shall develop a formula by which funds appropriated pursuant to this section are to be allocated to each public institution of higher education.
d. Funds allocated to a public institution of higher education pursuant to this section may be used to support up to 50 percent of the costs of a deferred maintenance project at a four-year public institution of higher education and up to 100 percent of the costs of a deferred maintenance project at a county college. The costs of a deferred maintenance project, which remain after the application of funds allocated pursuant to this section, shall be supported by funds other than State funds. A public institution of higher education shall report to the secretary, in a manner and form to be determined by the secretary, details concerning the deferred maintenance projects for which the institution uses funds allocated pursuant to this section.
2. There is established within the Department of the Treasury a nonlapsing, revolving fund to be known as the "Higher Education Deferred Maintenance Fund." The fund shall be credited with such moneys as may be appropriated by the Legislature, and any federal or private funds that may be available for the purposes of the fund. The fund shall be used to provide funding to public institutions of higher education to support the costs of deferred maintenance projects in accordance with section 1 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).
3. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill establishes a "Higher Education Deferred Maintenance Fund" to provide funding for deferred maintenance needs at public institutions of higher education.
The bill requires public institutions of higher education to, within 90 days following enactment, submit a deferred maintenance plan to the Secretary of Higher Education that details the institution's outstanding deferred maintenance needs and the anticipated cost of addressing the needs. The deferred maintenance plan would be updated every five years, except that an institution of higher education that maintains a long-range facilities plan pursuant to current law may revise and submit the deferred maintenance plan in conjunction with the institution's updates to the long-range facilities plan.
Additionally, the bill establishes the "Higher Education Deferred Maintenance Fund," which would be credited with moneys appropriated by the Legislature, as well as any other federal or private funds available for the purpose of addressing deferred maintenance needs at public institutions of higher education. The bill authorizes the Legislature to, from time to time, appropriate the moneys credited to the fund to support the costs of deferred maintenance projects.
The bill requires the Secretary of Higher Education, in consultation with the New Jersey Educational Facilities Authority and representatives from public institutions of higher education, to develop a formula to allocate funding appropriated from the Higher Education Deferred Maintenance Fund. The bill also stipulates that funds allocated to a public institution of higher education under the bill may account for: up to 50 percent of the cost of a deferred maintenance project at a four-year public institution of higher education; and up to 100 percent of the cost of a deferred maintenance project at a two-year public institution of higher education. Any remaining costs are to be supported by non-State funds.
