SENATE, No. 1655

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Senator ANDREW ZWICKER

District 16 (Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex and Somerset)

Co-Sponsored by:

Senator Singer

SYNOPSIS

     Permits educational research and services corporation to act as lead agency or contracting unit for procrurement of any goods or services and Public Works.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

     Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.

An Act concerning educational research and service corporations and amending P.L.2015, c.140.

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

     1.    Section 2 of P.L.2015, c.140 (C.18A:3B-6.1) is amended to read as follows:

     2. a. The governing board of a public research university or a State college may join with other public research universities, State colleges, county colleges, public institutions of higher education primarily located in the State of New Jersey, and nonprofit independent institutions of higher education that receive direct State aid, to form an educational research and services corporation to be operated exclusively for charitable, scientific, and educational purposes, within the meaning of paragraph (3) of subsection (c) of section 501 of the federal Internal Revenue Code (26 U.S.C. s.501).

     b. (1) An educational research and services corporation may act as a lead agency or contracting unit for the procurement of goods or services including, but not limited to, goods or services concerning educational technology systems and related services, and public works, by those entities comprising the educational and research services corporation.

     (2)   An educational research and services corporation shall be deemed a local unit for the purposes of the "Uniform Shared Services and Consolidation Act," sections 1 through 35 of P.L.2007, c.63 (C.40A:65-1 through C.40A:65-35) and may act as a lead agency or contracting unit for the procurement of goods or services including, but not limited to, goods or services concerning educational technology systems and related services, and public works by municipalities, fire districts, counties, local authorities subject to the "Local Authorities Fiscal Control Law," P.L.1983, c.313 (C.40A:5A-1 et seq.), school districts, county colleges, State colleges, public research universities, nonprofit independent institutions of higher education that receive direct State aid, or any combination of those entities.

     c.     An educational research and services corporation formed under P.L.2015, c.140, shall be subject to all applicable requirements under all applicable State and local procurement laws, including, but not limited to, section 1 of P.L.1977, c.33 (C.52:25-24.2), P.L.2012, c.25 (C.52:32-55 et seq.), and P.L.2005, c.51 (C.19:44A-20.13 et seq.).

(cf: P.L.2015, c.140, s.2)

     2.    This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

     This bill permits educational research and service corporations to act as the lead agency or contracting unit for procurement of public works. 

     Under current law, a four-year public institution of higher education is permitted to join with other public or independent institutions to form an educational research and services corporation to be operated exclusively for charitable, scientific, and educational purposes in accordance with federal law.  Current law further permits an educational research and services corporation to act as a lead agency or contracting unit for the procurement of goods and services concerning educational technology systems and related services by the entities comprising the corporation. The bill permits the educational research and services corporation to act as a lead agency or contracting unit for the procurement of any goods or services and public works.