ASSEMBLY WOMEN AND CHILDREN COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

ASSEMBLY, No. 5882

with committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  JUNE 16, 2021

      The Assembly Women and Children Committee reports favorably and with committee amendments Assembly Bill No. 5882.

      As amended by the committee, this bill requires the Department of Agriculture, in consultation with the Department of Education, to develop and administer a summer food service program State supplement to provide an additional reimbursement to certain school districts that participate in the federal summer food service program.

      Under the bill, the State would provide a 10-cent per meal supplement to the existing federal reimbursement to operators of the federal summer food service program.

      The bill directs the Department of Agriculture, in consultation with the Department of Education, to provide guidance and support to operators of the federal summer food service program, and to prepare and issue an annual report detailing the annual cost of the State supplement per month and the number and percentage of additional students participating in the federal summer food service program.

      As amended, the bill specifies that the Legislature is to annually appropriate funds necessary to implement the bill.  The bill’s effective date is June 1, 2022.

COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS

      The committee amendments change the effective date of the bill from June 1, 2023 to June, 1 2022.