Bill Text: NJ AR25 | 2010-2011 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Memorializes Congress and President to enact legislation to ensure that convicted sex offenders in court-ordered treatment centers are ineligible to receive federal Pell grants.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Republican 1)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2010-01-12 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Higher Education Committee [AR25 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2010-AR25-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
214th LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2010 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman DAVID P. RIBLE
District 11 (Monmouth)
SYNOPSIS
Memorializes Congress and President to enact legislation to ensure that convicted sex offenders in court-ordered treatment centers are ineligible to receive federal Pell grants.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel
An Assembly Resolution memorializing Congress and the President of the United States to enact legislation to ensure that convicted sex offenders in court-ordered treatment centers are ineligible to receive federal Pell grants.
Whereas, The federal Pell Grant Program is the nation's premier financial aid program for low-income students, providing recipients with grants of up to $4,310 a year to apply towards their higher education expenses; and
Whereas, There are millions of hard working Americans who do not qualify for Pell grants but who struggle to finance their education and, in many cases, must forego pursuing their education altogether; and
Whereas, Although prison inmates are ineligible to receive Pell Grants, a convicted sex offender in a court-ordered treatment center may qualify to receive a Pell grant; and
Whereas, Media outlets report that over the last five years at least several dozen sex offenders have taken advantage of this loophole in the federal law and received Pell grants; and
Whereas, Some of the sex offenders who have received Pell grants while in treatment centers have reportedly made questionable purchases with the grant money on items such as clothes, DVD players, and music CDs; and
Whereas, The higher education pursuits of sex offenders should not be financed at taxpayer expense; and
Whereas, The "Higher Education Act of 1965" (HEA), which provides for the federal Pell Grant Program, should be revised to exclude convicted sex offenders enrolled in court-ordered treatment centers from receiving Pell grants; now, therefore,
Be It Resolved by the General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. This House respectfully memorializes the Congress of the United States to pass, and the President to sign into law, legislation that would revise the "Higher Education Act of 1965" (HEA) to ensure that convicted sex offenders in a court-ordered treatment center are ineligible for the federal Pell Grant Program.
2. Duly authenticated copies of this resolution, signed by the Speaker of the General Assembly and attested by the Clerk thereof, shall be transmitted to the presiding officers of the Congress of the United States, each member of New Jersey's Congressional delegation, and the President of the United States.
STATEMENT
This resolution respectfully memorializes the Congress of the United States to pass, and the President to sign into law, legislation that would revise the "Higher Education Act of 1965" (HEA) to ensure that convicted sex offenders in court-ordered treatment centers are ineligible for the federal Pell Grant Program.
Under current law, prison inmates are ineligible for Pell grants; however, sex offenders in court-ordered treatment centers may qualify.
