A3420

Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman HEATHER SIMMONS

District 3 (Cumberland, Gloucester and Salem)

Assemblywoman MARGIE DONLON, M.D.

District 11 (Monmouth)

Assemblywoman LISA SWAIN

District 38 (Bergen)

Co-Sponsored by:

Assemblywomen Carter, Morales, Reynolds-Jackson and Haider

SYNOPSIS

Provides for expansion of social services supports at county colleges.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.

An Act concerning social services supports at county colleges and supplementing chapter 64A of Title 18A and Title 44 of the New Jersey Statutes.

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

1. The New Jersey Council of County Colleges shall collaborate with each county college in the State to identify gaps in meeting basic student needs among low-income students. The council shall, in consultation with the Department of Human Services, provide information to designated representatives at county colleges on available social services supports and enrollment procedures. The council may facilitate partnerships between county colleges and State agencies, county boards of social services, or community-based and other non-profit organizations to increase enrollment in social services supports among students in need.

2. Each county college shall work with a representative of the county board of social services to provide direct assistance to students and to help students to access social services supports. Each county board of social services shall designate an employee of the agency to be responsible for collaborating with the county’s community college representatives to ensure social services supports applications and related documents meet all requirements for consideration. The designee shall implement strategies to streamline the application process for social services supports for students enrolled in the county college.

3. The Division of Family Development in the Department of Human Services shall work with local workforce development boards and community college staff to better assist students with applications for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF), Childcare Subsidy, and other available social services supports.

4. Each county college and local workforce development board shall establish a partnership to jointly engage with workforce training providers, economic development organizations, and community-based and other non-profit organizations to assist the entities in identifying populations of unemployed and underemployed residents who may benefit from enrollment in a county college if a partnership consistent with the provisions of this section does not currently exist. The partnerships shall facilitate enrollment in county colleges to provide career pathways.

5. This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

This bill provides for the expansion of social services supports at county colleges in the State.

Under the bill, the New Jersey Council of County Colleges is to collaborate with each county college in the State to identify gaps in meeting basic student needs among low-income students. The bill requires the council, in consultation with the Department of Human Services (DHS), to provide information to designated representatives at county colleges on available social services supports and enrollment procedures. Additionally, the bill permits the council to facilitate partnerships between county colleges and State agencies, county boards of social services, or community-based and other non-profit organizations to increase enrollment in social services supports among students in need.

The bill further requires each county college to work with a representative of the county board of social services to provide direct assistance to students and to help students in accessing social services supports.

Additionally, the bill requires the Division of Family Development in the DHS to work with local workforce development boards and community college staff to better assist students with applications for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF), Childcare Subsidy, and other available social services supports.

Finally, the bill requires each county college and local workforce development board to jointly establish partnerships with workforce training providers, economic development organizations, and community-based and other non-profit organizations to assist the entities in identifying populations of unemployed and underemployed residents who may benefit from enrollment in a county college if those partnerships do not currently exist. The partnerships are to facilitate enrollment in county colleges to provide career pathways.