CHAPTER 144

 

An Act concerning licensed and registered child care providers, appropriating $100,000,000, and supplementing Title 52 of the New Jersey Statutes.

 

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

 

     1.      a.  There is appropriated to the Division of Disaster Recovery and Mitigation in the Department of Community Affairs $15,500,000 in federal funds allocated to the State from the federal “Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Fund” established pursuant to the federal “American Rescue Plan Act”, Pub.L.117-2, and such amounts shall be made available to the Department of Children and Families to create workforce development supports and conduct a child care landscape study, and of such amounts, not more than 2.5 percent, subject to the division’s ultimate review and approval, shall be utilized by the Department of Children and Families for organizational, administrative and other work and services, including salaries, equipment, services, and materials necessary to administer the activities authorized by this subsection. The Department of Children and Families shall enter into a memorandum of understanding or grant agreement, as applicable, with the division to effectuate the purposes of this subsection, to establish appropriate administrative costs, and to ensure compliance with federal rules and guidance, including with respect to the “American Rescue Plan Act,” Pub.L.117-2.

     b.      The division shall be the State’s grant manager for federal “Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Funds,” and is responsible for ensuring compliance with all applicable federal rules and regulations for this act, including, but not limited to, submitting all required reporting and documentation to the United States Department of the Treasury in accordance with federal rules, including with respect to the “American Rescue Plan Act,” Pub.L.117-2.  As the State’s grant manager for federal “Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Funds,” the division shall require funds for organizational, administrative, and other work and services, including salaries, services, equipment, and materials necessary to administer the applicable provisions of this act.

     c.      Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection a. of this section to the contrary, the division may transfer the uncommitted balance of any funds made available pursuant to this section for any use authorized under this act.  The division shall submit notice to the Joint Budget Oversight Committee no less than five calendar days before the date of the transfer. The notice shall indicate the amount of the transferred funds and the purpose for which the funds are transferred.

 

     2.    a.   There is appropriated to the Division of Disaster Recovery and Mitigation in the Department of Community Affairs $54,500,000 in federal funds allocated to the State from the federal “Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Fund” established pursuant to the federal “American Rescue Plan Act”, Pub.L.117-2, and such amounts shall be made available to the New Jersey Economic Development Authority for the purpose of providing technical assistance to licensed child care providers, registered family child care homes and grants to child care providers for facilities improvements which grants shall be allocated, on a rolling basis, to licensed child care providers, registered family child care homes, and child care providers, and of such amounts, not more than 2.5 percent, subject to the division’s ultimate review and approval, shall be utilized by the New Jersey Economic Development Authority for organizational, administrative and other work and services, including salaries, equipment, services, and materials necessary to administer the activities authorized by this subsection.  The New Jersey Economic Development Authority shall enter into a memorandum of understanding or grant agreement, as applicable, with the division to effectuate the purposes of this subsection, to establish appropriate administrative costs, and to ensure compliance with federal rules and guidance, including with respect to the “American Rescue Plan Act,” Pub.L.117-2.

     b.    The division shall be the State’s grant manager for federal “Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Funds,” and is responsible for ensuring compliance with all applicable federal rules and regulations for this act, including, but not limited to, submitting all required reporting and documentation to the United States Department of the Treasury in accordance with federal rules, including with respect to the “American Rescue Plan Act,” Pub.L.117-2.  As the State’s grant manager for federal “Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Funds,” the division shall require funds for organizational, administrative, and other work and services, including salaries, services, equipment, and materials necessary to administer the applicable provisions of this act.

     c.     Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection a. of this section to the contrary, the division may transfer the uncommitted balance of any funds made available pursuant to this section for any use authorized under this act.  The division shall submit notice to the Joint Budget Oversight Committee no less than five calendar days before the date of the transfer. The notice shall indicate the amount of the transferred funds and the purpose for which the funds are transferred.

 

     3.    a.   There is appropriated to the Division of Disaster Recovery and Mitigation in the Department of Community Affairs $30,000,000 in federal funds allocated to the State from the federal “Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Fund” established pursuant to the federal “American Rescue Plan Act”, Pub.L.117-2, and such amounts shall be made available to the Department of Human Services for the purpose of providing grants to the licensed child care providers, registered family day care providers, or employees of licensed child care providers or registered family day care providers , which grants shall be allocated, on a rolling basis, to licensed child care providers, registered family day care providers, or employees of licensed child care providers or registered family day care providers within 45 days of the department’s receipt of a complete qualifying application, and of such amounts, not more than 2.5 percent, subject to the division’s ultimate review and approval, shall be utilized by the Department of Human Services for organizational, administrative and other work and services, including salaries, equipment, services, and materials necessary to administer the activities authorized by this subsection. The Department of Human Services shall enter into a memorandum of understanding or grant agreement, as applicable, with the division to effectuate the purposes of this act subsection, to establish appropriate administrative costs, and to ensure compliance with federal rules and guidance, including with respect to the “American Rescue Plan Act,” Pub.L.117-2.

     b.    The division shall be the State’s grant manager for federal “Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Funds,” and is responsible for ensuring compliance with all applicable federal rules and regulations for this section, including, but not limited to, submitting all required reporting and documentation to the United States Department of the Treasury in accordance with federal rules, including with respect to the “American Rescue Plan Act,” Pub.L.117-2.  As the State’s grant manager for federal “Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Funds,” the division shall require funds for organizational, administrative, and other work and services, including salaries, services, equipment, and materials necessary to administer the applicable provisions of this act.

     c.     Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection a. of this section to the contrary, the division may transfer the uncommitted balance of any funds made available pursuant to this section for any use authorized under this act.  The division shall submit notice to the Joint Budget Oversight Committee no less than five calendar days before the date of the transfer. The notice shall indicate the amount of the transferred funds and the purpose for which the funds are transferred.

 

     4.    This act shall take effect immediately.

 

     Approved July 1, 2021.