SENATE BUDGET AND APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE
STATEMENT TO
SENATE, No. 3959
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
DATED: JUNE 22, 2021
The Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee reports favorably Senate Bill No. 3959.
This bill appropriates a total of $66,173,243 from the “Securing Our Children’s Future Fund” to the Department of Education (DOE) to provide grants for school security projects in New Jersey school districts. Under the bill, $65,423,243 is appropriated for the purposes of supporting school security projects in school districts, while $750,000 is appropriated for the administrative costs of the DOE in implementing current and future grants for eligible projects.
Under the “Securing Our Children’s Future Bond Act,” P.L.2018, c.119, a total of $500 million in general obligation bonds was authorized to be allocated as grants for the costs of career and technical education expansion grants, school security projects, and school district water infrastructure improvement grants. These bond funds were approved by New Jersey voters on November 6, 2018.
Of the total $500 million amount, $75 million was dedicated for grants to school districts to support the costs of complying with P.L.2019, c.33, commonly referred to as “Alyssa’s Law,” and for select other infrastructure improvements prescribed in current State law after certification of compliance with Alyssa’s Law. Under Alyssa’s Law, each public elementary and secondary school building is required to be equipped with at least one panic alarm or approved alternative emergency mechanism for use in a school security emergency. The law provides that a portion of the proceeds of the bonds authorized to be issued to fund school security under the “Securing Our Children’s Future Bond Act” will fund the full cost of the panic alarms or the alternative emergency mechanisms.
As reported, this bill is identical to Assembly Bill No. 5886, as also reported by the committee.
FISCAL IMPACT:
This bill is not certified as requiring a fiscal note.