STATE OF NEW JERSEY
215th LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2012 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman CAROLINE CASAGRANDE
District 11 (Monmouth)
Assemblyman DECLAN J. O'SCANLON, JR.
District 13 (Monmouth)
Assemblyman ALBERT COUTINHO
District 29 (Essex)
SYNOPSIS
Prohibits public employers from reimbursing tuition or awarding promotions or compensation based on degrees or certifications obtained from unaccredited institutions.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel
An Act prohibiting public employers from reimbursing tuition or awarding promotions or compensation based on degrees or certifications obtained from unaccredited institutions and supplementing various parts of the statutory law.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. At no time shall a board of education reimburse tuition costs or fees to an officer or employee attending an institution that is not a duly authorized institution of higher education or award promotions or additional compensation based on a degree or certification obtained from an institution that is not a duly authorized institution of higher education.
For the purposes of this section, duly authorized institution of higher education means an in-State institution licensed by the Commission on Higher Education or an out-of-State institution licensed by the appropriate state agency and regionally accredited or seeking accreditation by the appropriate accrediting body recognized by the Council on Postsecondary Education or the United States Department of Education.
Regarding institutions located outside of the United States or its possessions, a duly authorized institution of higher education means one that is recognized by the appropriate body in the particular country provided that the institution’s requirements for awarding degrees are generally equivalent to those accepted in the United States by an accrediting body recognized by the United States Department of Education.
An officer or employee who knowingly and willfully accepts prohibited reimbursement, promotion or additional compensation shall be guilty of a disorderly persons offense and shall be subject to such disciplinary process or reimbursement as the employer shall provide.
2. At no time shall a county or municipality or any board, commission, authority, or instrumentality thereof, reimburse tuition costs or fees to an officer or employee attending an institution that is not a duly authorized institution of higher education or award promotions or additional compensation based on a degree or certification obtained from an institution that is not a duly authorized institution of higher education.
For the purposes of this section, duly authorized institution of higher education means an in-State institution licensed by the Commission on Higher Education or an out-of-State institution licensed by the appropriate state agency and regionally accredited or seeking accreditation by the appropriate accrediting body recognized by the Council on Postsecondary Education or the United States Department of Education.
Regarding institutions located outside of the United States or its possessions, a duly authorized institution of higher education means one that is recognized by the appropriate body in the particular country provided that the institution’s requirements for awarding degrees are generally equivalent to those accepted in the United States by an accrediting body recognized by the United States Department of Education.
An officer or employee who knowingly and willfully accepts prohibited reimbursement, promotion or additional compensation shall be guilty of a disorderly persons offense and shall be subject to such disciplinary process or reimbursement as the employer shall provide
3. At no time shall the State or any board, commission, authority or instrumentality thereof, including an institution of higher education, reimburse tuition costs or fees to an officer or employee attending an institution that is not a duly authorized institution of higher education or award promotions or additional compensation based on a degree or certification obtained from an institution that is not a duly authorized institution of higher education.
For the purposes of this section, duly authorized institution of higher education means an in-State institution licensed by the Commission on Higher Education or an out-of-State institution licensed by the appropriate state agency and regionally accredited or seeking accreditation by the appropriate accrediting body recognized by the Council on Postsecondary Education or the United States Department of Education.
Regarding institutions located outside of the United States or its possessions, a duly authorized institution of higher education means one that is recognized by the appropriate body in the particular country provided that the institution’s requirements for awarding degrees are generally equivalent to those accepted in the United States by an accrediting body recognized by the United States Department of Education.
An officer or employee who knowingly and willfully accepts prohibited reimbursement, promotion or additional compensation shall be guilty of a disorderly persons offense and shall be subject to such disciplinary process or reimbursement as the employer shall provide.
4. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill prohibits public employers from reimbursing tuition costs or fees or awarding promotions or compensation based on degrees or certifications obtained from an institution that is not a duly authorized institution of higher education. A duly authorized institution of higher education means an in-State institution licensed by the Commission on Higher Education or an out-of-State institution licensed by the appropriate state agency and regionally accredited or seeking accreditation by the appropriate accrediting body recognized by the Council on Postsecondary Education or the United States Department of Education.
Regarding institutions located outside of the United States or its possessions, a duly authorized institution of higher education means one that is recognized by the appropriate body in the particular country provided that the institution’s requirements for awarding degrees are generally equivalent to those accepted in the United States by an accrediting body recognized by the United States Department of Education.
This bill also makes it a disorderly persons offense for an officer or employee to knowingly and willfully accept prohibited reimbursement, promotion or additional compensation. The officer or employee will also be subject to such disciplinary process or reimbursement as the employer shall provide. A disorderly persons offense is punishable by up to six months in prison or a $1,000 fine.
This bill is in response to recent news reports that some school districts have provided tuition assistance for coursework taken, and provided additional compensation upon the attainment of a degree completed, at an out-of-state institution of higher education that is not considered by the State of New Jersey to be a duly authorized institution.