SENATE, No. 4075

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

219th LEGISLATURE

 

INTRODUCED NOVEMBER 8, 2021

 


 

Sponsored by:

Senator  STEPHEN M. SWEENEY

District 3 (Cumberland, Gloucester and Salem)

 

 

 

 

SYNOPSIS

     Eliminates requirement for three years that school districts receive DOE approval for non-instructional or non-educational school facilities or capital maintenance projects.

 

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

     As introduced.

  


An Act concerning the construction of certain school facilities projects and capital maintenance projects.

 

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

 

     1.    Beginning in the 2022-2023 school year and ending after the 2024-2025 school year, notwithstanding any provision of law, rule, or regulation to the contrary, any school district, or the New Jersey Schools Development Authority on behalf of a school district, shall be exempt from any requirement under State law or regulation to receive approval from the Department of Education for a school facilities or capital maintenance project that is non-instructional or non-educational in nature and would otherwise require approval from the department.  In the event that a school district, or the development authority on behalf of a school district, undertakes a school facilities or capital maintenance project pursuant to this section, the district or development authority, as applicable, shall notify the Department of Education of the project in a manner and form to be determined by the department.

 

     2.    This act shall take effect immediately.

 

 

STATEMENT

 

     Under current State Board of Education regulations, school facilities projects and capital projects are reviewed and approved by the Division of Administration and Finance in the Department of Education (DOE).  This bill places a three-year moratorium, beginning with the 2022-2023 school year, in which a school district, or the New Jersey Schools Development Authority (SDA) on behalf of a school district, is exempt from any requirement under State law or regulation to receive approval from the DOE for a school facilities or capital maintenance project that is non-instructional or non-educational in nature and would otherwise require approval from the DOE.

     In the event that a school district, or the SDA on behalf of a school district, undertakes a school facilities or capital maintenance project pursuant to the provisions of this bill, the district or SDA would notify the DOE of the project in a manner and form to be determined by the DOE.