ASSEMBLY EDUCATION COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

ASSEMBLY, No. 1527

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED: MARCH 25, 1996

      The Assembly Education Committee reports favorably Assembly Bill No. 1527.

      This bill appropriates $2,100,000 from the Jobs, Education and Competitiveness Bond Fund created pursuant to the "Jobs, Education and Competitiveness Bond Act of 1988," P.L.1988, c.78, for individual projects at Rowan College of New Jersey and Saint Peter's College.

      The bill appropriates $500,000 for the proposed project at Rowan College for the construction of an underground electrical distribution system. The project entails removing all overhead electrical distribution on the south side of the campus and replacing it with the underground system. The current system is outdated and has resulted in numerous power outages. The Rowan College project was approved by the Commission on Higher Education on January 27, 1995.

      The bill also appropriates $1,600,000 to Saint Peter's College for the renovation of Gannon Hall. The proposed renovation would include new labs, non-movable lab equipment, and the retro-fitting of existing mechanical and electrical systems. The project work would also include new ventilation systems, chemical storage rooms, fume hoods, new heating controls, and work required to bring the building into compliance with the federal "Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990," 42 U.S.C.§12101 et seq. The Saint Peter's project was approved by the Commission on Higher Education on October 27, 1995.