ASSEMBLY, No. 599

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 1996 SESSION

By Assemblyman LUSTBADER

An Act concerning the funding of the public schools and supplementing chapter 22 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes.

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

    1. Notwithstanding the provisions of chapter 22 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes and chapter 4 of Title 54 of the Revised Statutes or any other law, rule or regulation to the contrary, no property taxes shall be assessed, levied or collected in order to fund the schools for the 1996-97 school year and thereafter, except those property taxes necessary to pay the outstanding interest and debt redemption charges of a school district.

    2. This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

    This bill provides that no property taxes shall be assessed, levied or collected in order to fund the schools for the 1996-97 school year and thereafter, except those property taxes necessary to pay the outstanding interest and debt redemption charges of a school district.

    In its finding of July 12, 1994, that the QEA was unconstitutional, the Supreme Court retained jurisdiction and indicated that it may intervene if a new funding statute is not in place by September, 1996. It is the purpose of this bill to impose an effective deadline of January 1, 1996, by which the Legislature and Governor will have approved legislation to provide a new method for the funding and distribution of school aid.

Prohibits use of property tax for school funding in 1996-97 and thereafter.