Sponsored by:
Senator RAYMOND J. LESNIAK
District 20 (Union)
SYNOPSIS
Requires attorney to refund to a school district fees paid for legal services if DOE has determined fees were unnecessary and has deducted State aid from the district as a result.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning certain legal services fees paid by school districts and supplementing chapter 55 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. If the Department of Education finds that a school district has expended public funds for unnecessary legal fees, and the department reduces State aid to that district as a result of this finding, the attorney or attorneys who were the recipients of the legal fees shall refund to the school district the total amount of non-allowable costs for legal services identified by the department.
2. This act shall take effect immediately and shall be retroactive to July 1, 2004.
STATEMENT
This bill provides that if the Department of Education finds that a school district has expended public funds for unnecessary legal fees, and the department reduces State aid to that district as a consequence of that finding, the attorney or the firm that was the recipient of those legal fees must provide a refund to the school district. The amount of the refund must equal the total amount of non-allowable costs for legal services identified by the department.
The provisions of this bill are retroactive to July 1, 2004.