A5044

An Act establishing the Cardiac Emergency Response in Schools Grant Program, supplementing chapter 6 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. The Department of Education shall establish a Cardiac Emergency Response in Schools Grant Program. The purpose of the program shall be to award grants to school districts, charter schools, renaissance school projects, and nonpublic schools to promote preparedness for cardiac emergencies.

b. The Commissioner of Education shall award grants, within the limit of funds appropriated or otherwise made available for the program, to selected applicants for uses that shall include, but need not be limited to, the following:

(1) purchasing and maintaining automatic external defibrillators;

(2) purchasing cardiopulmonary resuscitation training kits;

(3) implementing cardiac emergency response plans; and

(4) providing training to staff in cardiopulmonary resuscitation or basic first aid.

c. A school district, charter school, renaissance school project, or nonpublic school that wishes to apply for a grant shall submit an application to the commissioner in a manner and form to be determined by the commissioner. The application shall include:

(1) an overview of the school district, charter school, renaissance school project, or nonpublic school’s current policies and practices regarding cardiac emergencies;

(2) a description of the school district, charter school, renaissance school project, or nonpublic school’s need for additional funds to promote preparedness for cardiac emergencies; and

(3) any other information the commissioner deems appropriate.

d. The commissioner shall develop criteria for the evaluation of applications for grant funds. Based upon the criteria developed by the commissioner, and within the limit of funds appropriated or otherwise made available for the purposes of the program, the commissioner shall allocate to each selected school district, charter school, renaissance school project, or nonpublic school a grant in an amount determined by the commissioner. The commissioner may award multi-year grants. In awarding grants under the program, the commissioner shall give priority to school districts, charter schools, renaissance school projects, and nonpublic schools that demonstrate the greatest need.

2. a. Within one year after receiving a grant under the Cardiac Emergency Response in Schools Grant Program, a grant recipient shall submit a report to the Commissioner of Education containing information on the grant recipient’s use of the grant funds.

b. The commissioner shall submit a report to the Governor, and to the Legislature pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), no later than two years after the establishment of the Cardiac Emergency Response in Schools Grant Program. The report shall include, but need not be limited to, information on the number of grant applicants, the number and amounts of the grant awards, information provided by school districts pursuant to subsection a. of this section, and any recommendations concerning the continuation or expansion of the grant program.

3. There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Education the sum of $600,000 for the Cardiac Emergency Response in Schools Grant Program established pursuant to section 1 of this act.

4. This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

This bill establishes the Cardiac Emergency Response in Schools Grant Program in the Department of Education and provides a $600,000 appropriation for the program.

The purpose of the program is to award grants to school districts, charter schools, renaissance school projects, and nonpublic schools to promote preparedness for cardiac emergencies. The Commissioner of Education would award grants, within the limit of available funds, to selected school entities to be used for purchasing and maintaining automatic external defibrillators, purchasing cardiopulmonary resuscitation training kits, implementing cardiac emergency response plans, and providing training to staff in cardiopulmonary resuscitation or basic first aid.

A school district, charter school, renaissance school project, or nonpublic school that wishes to apply for a grant is required to submit an application to the commissioner. The commissioner is required to develop criteria for the evaluation of applications and determine the amounts allocated to selected school entities. The commissioner may award multi-year grants. In awarding grants, the commissioner is required to give priority to schools that demonstrate the greatest need.

Under the bill, each grant recipient is required to report certain information to the Commissioner of Education and the commissioner is subsequently required to report program-related information to the Governor and the Legislature.