STATE OF NEW JERSEY
215th LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2012 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman SCOTT T. RUMANA
District 40 (Bergen, Essex, Morris and Passaic)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblymen Diegnan, Peterson and Assemblywoman Vainieri Huttle
SYNOPSIS
Authorizes the conferral of certain academic degrees by religious corporations.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel
An Act concerning the conferral of certain academic degrees and amending N.J.S.18A:68-3.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. N.J.S.18A:68-3 is amended to read as follows:
18A:68-3. a. [No] Except as otherwise provided pursuant to subsection c. of this section, no corporation shall furnish instruction or learning in the arts, sciences, or professions for the purposes of admitting any person to the grade of a degree, or shall confer or participate in conferring a degree, giving to any person a diploma of graduation or of proficiency in a course of study, in learning, or in scientific arts or methods, within this State, until it shall have filed a certified copy of its certificate of incorporation with the Commission on Higher Education and obtained from the commission a license to carry on the business under such rules as the commission may prescribe.
b. The cost for consultants utilized by the Commission on Higher Education and other out-of-pocket expenses incurred by the commission for licensure and related reviews shall be paid by the institution seeking a license or license renewal.
c. (1) An institution owned, controlled, operated, and maintained by a bona fide church, religious denomination, or religious organization comprised of multi denominational members of the same well-recognized religion, lawfully operating as a religious corporation, may, if the education is limited to instruction in the principles of that church, religious denomination, or religious organization, confer a degree limited to evidence of completion of that education. An institution operating in accordance with this subsection shall only offer degrees in the beliefs and practices of the church, religious denomination, or religious organization, and any degree granted shall contain on its face, in the written description of the title or degree being conferred, a reference to the theological aspect of the degree's subject area. Such an institution may also confer honorary degrees limited to the principles of that church, religious denomination, or religious organization.
(2) A degree awarded
pursuant to this subsection shall reflect the nature of the degree title
such as "associate of religious studies," "bachelor of religious
studies," "master of divinity," or "doctor of
divinity." The use of the degree titles "associate of arts" or
"associate of science," "bachelor of arts" or
"bachelor of science, "master of arts" or "master of
science," or "doctor of philosophy" or "Ph.D." shall
only be awarded by an institution licensed pursuant to
subsection a. of this section.
(3) An institution conferring degrees in accordance with this subsection shall file annually with the Commission on Higher Education evidence to demonstrate its status as a religious corporation.
(cf: P.L.1999, c.46, s.44)
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill provides that an institution owned, controlled, operated, and maintained by a bona fide church, religious denomination, or religious organization comprised of multi denominational members of the same well-recognized religion, lawfully operating as a religious corporation, may confer a degree limited to evidence of completion of instruction in the principles of that church, religious denomination, or religious organization. Such an institution may only offer degrees in the beliefs and practices of the church, religious denomination, or religious organization, and any degree granted must contain on its face in the written description of the title or degree being conferred, a reference to the theological aspect of the degree's subject area. Licensure by the Commission on Higher Education to award such degrees would not be required.
This bill expresses the intent of the Legislature that the State not involve itself in the content of programs which award degrees limited to the beliefs and practices of religious organizations and denominations.