STATE OF NEW JERSEY
222nd LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Senator M. TERESA RUIZ
District 29 (Essex and Hudson)
SYNOPSIS
Requires governing board of public institution of higher education to notify Secretary of Higher Education of proposed merger or consolidation.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Act concerning mergers of public institutions of higher education and supplementing Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. Prior to commencing an institutional merger or consolidation, including a merger or consolidation of one or more schools within the same institution, the governing board of a public institution of higher education shall notify the Secretary of Higher Education of the proposed merger or consolidation.
b. The notice required pursuant to subsection a. of this section shall include, at a minimum:
(1) the reason for the proposed merger or consolidation;
(2) the projected cost of the proposed merger or consolidation and a preliminary assessment of any fiscal impacts; and
(3) the effect on the students and employees of the institutions and schools.
c. The notice shall be provided to the secretary within 14 days of the date upon which the governing board adopts a resolution, or otherwise enters into an agreement, to commence an institutional merger or consolidation.
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill requires the governing board of a public institution of higher education to notify the Secretary of Higher Education of a proposed merger or consolidation.
The bill requires that, prior to commencing an institutional merger or consolidation, including a merger or consolidation of one or more schools within the same institution, the governing board of a public institution of higher education is to notify the Secretary of Higher Education of the proposed merger or consolidation.
Under the bill, the notice is to include, at a minimum:
(1) the reason for the proposed merger or consolidation;
(2) the projected cost of the proposed merger or consolidation and a preliminary assessment of any fiscal impacts; and
(3) the effect on the students and employees of the institutions and schools.
The bill requires that the notice be provided to the secretary within 14 days of the date upon which the governing board adopts a resolution, or otherwise enters into an agreement, to commence an institutional merger or consolidation.