S4119

An Act concerning the education of neurodiverse individuals, supplementing P.L.1989, c.141 (C.18A:64A-28.1 et al.), chapter 64A of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes, chapter 3B of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes, and making an appropriation.

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

1. a. Beginning with the first full academic year following the date of enactment of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education, in coordination with the New Jersey Council of County Colleges, shall establish a two-year Accessibility Coordinator Pilot Program. The purpose of the pilot program shall be to allocate funds to three county colleges to support the hiring of accessibility coordinators. Accessibility coordinators at selected county colleges shall be qualified by training and experience to effectively counsel neurodiverse students. The coordinators shall promote the academic and career success of neurodiverse students by, at a minimum:

(1) providing intentional academic advising;

(2) assisting these students in navigating and accessing campus and community resources that may be beneficial to the students’ academic and career growth; and

(3) connecting these students to job opportunities and employers.

b. The Office of the Secretary of Higher Education shall oversee the administration of the pilot program and coordinate with the New Jersey Council of County Colleges to ensure the effective administration of the program. The office shall select to participate in the pilot program one county college in each of the northern, central, and southern regions of the State. The county colleges shall be selected following a competitive application process to be established by the office. The application process shall, at a minimum, require applicant county colleges to submit proposals detailing:

(1) the responsibilities of the accessibility coordinator to be hired by the county college pursuant to the pilot program;

(2) the qualifications that will be sought by the county college in hiring an accessibility coordinator;

(3) any professional development or training opportunities that the county college will provide to the accessibility coordinator; and

(4) any partnerships or existing relationships with programs or other resources in the State that support the needs of neurodiverse students.

c. Following the completion of the first year of the pilot program, the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education shall submit to the Governor and to the Legislature, pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), a report assessing the progress of the pilot program. County colleges selected for participation in the pilot program shall provide the office with data and other information that may be deemed necessary to produce the report.

d. Following the completion of the two-year pilot program, the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education shall submit to the Governor and to the Legislature, pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), a report measuring the effectiveness of the pilot program. County colleges selected for participation in the pilot program shall provide the office with data and other information that may be deemed necessary to produce the report.

2. a. Beginning with the first full academic year following the date of enactment of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), the New Jersey Council of County Colleges shall provide to county college faculty and staff professional development and training sessions related to teaching and supporting neurodiverse students enrolled in the county colleges. The council is encouraged to collaborate with existing programs and resources in the State, which support the needs of neurodiverse students, to provide professional development and training sessions pursuant to this section. The professional development and training sessions shall:

(1) emphasize an understanding that individuals experience and interact with the world in many different ways;

(2) promote student inclusiveness and success;

(3) provide resources designed to assist faculty and staff in supporting neurodiverse students with the transition to postsecondary education and the workforce; and

(4) provide overviews of how to effectively identify the needs of neurodiverse students, modify curricula to accommodate neurodiverse student needs, and determine individualized support services.

b. The professional development and training sessions may include, but not be limited to:

(1) Statewide professional development or training sessions to which all county colleges have access; and

(2) a series of half-day workshops, which may be available in-person or through virtual or remote means.

3. a. The Secretary of Higher Education shall establish a “County College Inclusive STEM Infrastructure Grant Program.” The purpose of the program shall be to provide grants to county colleges for the cost, or a portion of the cost, of a capital construction project that extends or improves an instructional, laboratory, communication, or research facility to better accommodate the needs of neurodiverse students, provided that the facility for which a county college may receive a grant is in whole or in part utilized for instruction or research in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) or artificial intelligence.

b. (1) Beginning with the first full academic year following the date of enactment of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), the Secretary of Higher Education shall establish a process by which a county college may apply for a grant pursuant to this section. In order to ensure the most effective utilization of moneys appropriated to the grant program and to guide county colleges that elect to apply for a grant, the secretary shall establish a list of selection criteria that account for a county college’s infrastructure needs and expected capital construction project costs. The secretary is encouraged to collaborate with existing programs and resources in the State, which support the needs of neurodiverse students, to develop the selection criteria. An application submitted pursuant to this subsection shall, at a minimum:

(a) include a resolution adopted by the governing board of a county college that demonstrates a determination to apply for a grant pursuant to this section;

(b) include a complete description of the project to be financed through a grant awarded pursuant to this section;

(d) provide pertinent information related to any partnerships or existing relationships with programs or other resources in the State that support the needs of neurodiverse students and the extent to which those partnerships and relationships have informed the project to be financed through a grant awarded pursuant to this section.

(2) Project costs that may be financed through the proceeds of a grant awarded pursuant to this section shall include, but not be limited to, lighting modifications, soft furniture and flexible seating options, sensory-friendly rooms, and equipment necessary to implement interactive learning platforms or assistive technology.

(3) The Secretary of Higher Education shall review the applications submitted pursuant to this subsection and approve or disapprove the grant. The secretary shall establish the amount of each grant that is approved, provided that an individual grant shall be no less than $25,000 and no more than $50,000.

4. County colleges and four-year institutions of higher education are encouraged to collaborate on efforts to:

a. bolster professional development and training supports to faculty and staff who work with neurodiverse students;

b. better align courses to support the unique needs of neurodiverse students who may be transferring from a county college to a four-year institution of higher education; and

c. develop partnerships between neurodiverse student programs offered at the county colleges and four-year institutions of higher education, to better support these students.

5. There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education the following sums for the purposes specified:

a. $900,000 for the purpose of allocating funds to county colleges pursuant to subsection a. of section 1 of this act;

b. $75,000 for distribution to the New Jersey Council of County Colleges to effectuate the provisions of section 2 of this act; and

c. $500,000 to effectuate the provisions of section 3 of this act.

6. This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

This bill establishes various programs to support the needs of neurodiverse students at county colleges in the State. In general, the term “neurodiversity” refers to the range of differences in individual brain function and behavioral traits, regarded as part of normal variation in the human population.

The bill requires the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education, in coordination with the New Jersey Council of County Colleges, to establish a two-year Accessibility Coordinator Pilot Program. The purpose of the pilot program is to distribute funds, throughout the course of the pilot program, to a total of three county colleges across the State to support the hiring of accessibility coordinators. The bill appropriates $900,000 for distribution to county colleges. The coordinators are to promote the academic and career success of neurodiverse students by, at a minimum: providing intentional academic advising; assisting students in navigating and accessing campus and community resources that may be beneficial to the students’ academic and career growth; and connecting neurodiverse students to job opportunities and employers. The county colleges are to be selected following a competitive application process to be established by the office.

The bill requires the New Jersey Council of County Colleges to offer to county college faculty and staff professional development and training opportunities related to teaching and supporting neurodiverse students enrolled in the county colleges. The bill appropriates $75,000 for distribution to the council to support the costs of providing professional development and training opportunities.

The bill requires the Secretary of Higher Education to establish a “County College Inclusive STEM Infrastructure Grant Program.” The purpose of the program is to provide grants to county colleges for the cost, or a portion of the cost, of capital construction projects that extend or improve an instructional, laboratory, communication, or research facility to better accommodate the needs of neurodiverse students. Projects that receive funding pursuant to the program are required to extend or improve facilities that are utilized for instruction or research in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) or artificial intelligence. The bill appropriates $500,000 for this grant program.

Pursuant to the bill, county colleges and four-year institutions of higher education are encouraged to collaborate on efforts to: bolster professional development and training supports to faculty and staff who work with neurodiverse students; better align courses to support the unique needs of students who may be transferring from a county college to a four-year institution of higher education; and develop partnerships between neurodiverse student programs offered at the county colleges and four-year institutions of higher education, to better support these students.