P.L. 2021, CHAPTER 46, approved April 12, 2021

Assembly, No. 5446 (Second Reprint)

 


1[A Supplement to the Fiscal Year 2021 appropriations act, P.L.2020, c.97] An Act making federal funding available to the New Jersey Economic Development Authority to support businesses and nonprofits in need1.

 

     Be It Enacted by the Senate and the General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

 

1[1.  In addition to the amounts appropriated under P.L.2020, c.97, the annual appropriations act for Fiscal Year 2021, there is appropriated the following sum for the purpose specified:

 

82 DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY

50 Economic Planning, Development, and Security

51 Economic Planning and Development

 

GRANTS-IN-AID

38-2043

Economic Development ........................................................

$15,000,000

 

Total Grants-in-Aid Appropriation,                           

Economic Planning and Development ………………………

$15,000,000

Grants-in-Aid:

 

 

38

Coronavirus Relief Fund – Assistance to Businesses and Nonprofits, EDA................

($15,000,000)

 

 

The amount hereinabove appropriated for Coronavirus Relief Fund – Assistance to Businesses and Nonprofits, EDA shall be allocated from a portion of federal block grant funds allocated to the State from the federal “Coronavirus Relief Fund” established pursuant to the federal “Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act),” Pub.L.116-136, or any other federal funds made available to the State in response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

 

The amount hereinabove appropriated for Coronavirus Relief Fund – Assistance to Businesses and Nonprofits, EDA shall be allocated by the New Jersey Economic Development Authority to businesses and nonprofit organizations in this State to prevent additional business and nonprofit organization closures, to preserve and create jobs, and to spur economic recovery. The New Jersey Economic Development Authority shall establish minimum grant eligibility criteria and the size of the grant awards to meet the needs of the grantee entities in responding to the public health crisis.]1

 

     11.  a.  Subject to the availability of federal funds provided or made accessible to the State via federal block grant funds allocated to the State from the federal “Coronavirus Relief Fund” established pursuant to the federal “Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act),” Pub.L.116-136, or any other federal funds made available to the State in response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, $15,000,000 from such federal funds shall be made available to the New Jersey Economic Development Authority for the purposes set forth in subsection b. of this section.

     b.    2(1)2  The funds made available to the New Jersey Economic Development Authority pursuant to subsection a. of this section shall be reserved by the authority to provide financial support, by way of grants, to businesses and nonprofits.  2The authority may use not more than five percent of the funds to defray any administrative expenses incurred in the implementation of this section.

     (2)   Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph (1) of this subsection to the contrary, the authority may transfer the uncommitted balance of any funds made available pursuant to this section to any program established pursuant to P.L.    , c.    (C.        ) (pending before the Legislature as Assembly Bill No. 5443 or Senate Bill No. 3523 of 2021), P.L.    , c.    (C.        ) (pending before the Legislature as Assembly Bill No. 5445 or Senate Bill No. 3520 of 2021), P.L.    , c.    (C.        ) (pending before the Legislature as Assembly Bill No. 5444 or Senate Bill No. 3524 of 2021), or P.L.    , c.    (C.        ) (pending before the Legislature as Assembly Bill No. 5447 or Senate Bill No. 3521 of 2021).  The authority shall submit notice to the Joint Budget Oversight Committee no less than five calendar days before the date of the transfer.  At minimum, the notice shall indicate the amount of the transferred funds and the purpose for which the funds are transferred.2

     c.     The New Jersey Economic Development Authority shall establish the size of the awards and eligibility of entities in subsection b. of this section to meet the needs of businesses and nonprofits in responding to the public health crisis.1

 

     2.    This act shall take effect immediately.

 

 

                                

 

     Makes $15 million in federal funds available to EDA to support businesses and nonprofits in need.