SENATE BUDGET AND APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE

 

STATEMENT TO

 

SENATE, No. 3520

 

with committee amendments

 

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

 

DATED:  MARCH 22, 2021

 

      The Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee reports favorably Senate Bill No. 3520, with committee amendments.

      As amended, the bill makes $10 million in federal funds available to the Economic Development Authority (EDA) to award grants to child care providers that are in need of support as a result of the public health crisis.  The EDA may use up to five percent of these funds to support administrative expenses.

      The bill also allows the EDA to transfer the uncommitted balance of these funds to certain other programs administered by the authority using federal COVID-19 response funding.  However, the EDA would be required to submit notice of the transfer to the Joint Budget Oversight Committee.

 

COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS:

      The committee amended the bill to:

      (1)  restructure the bill such that it is not a supplemental appropriation, but rather makes funding available for the bill’s designated purpose;

      (2)  remove the requirement for eligible child care providers to be licensed by the Department of Children and Families;

      (3)  replace references to “child care centers” with “child care providers”;

      (4)  allow the EDA to use up to five percent of the federal funds to support administrative expenses incurred in the implementation of the bill; and

      (5)  allow the EDA to transfer the uncommitted balance of federal funds to certain other programs administered by the authority using federal COVID-19 response funding, provided that the EDA submit notice to the Joint Budget Oversight Committee.

 

FISCAL IMPACT:

      This bill is not certified as requiring a fiscal note.