Sponsored by:
Assemblyman VINCENT MAZZEO
District 2 (Atlantic)
Assemblywoman ANGELA V. MCKNIGHT
District 31 (Hudson)
Assemblyman JOHN ARMATO
District 2 (Atlantic)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblyman Verrelli and Assemblywoman Vainieri Huttle
SYNOPSIS
Establishes grant program in DCA to provide funding to youth mentoring programs.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As reported by the Assembly Women and Children Committee on May 12, 2021, with amendments.
An Act establishing a grant program for certain mentoring programs and supplementing Title 52 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. 1[As used in this act. “mentoring services” means a program administered by a duly incorporated non-profit organization in which persons provide advice, support, opinion or instruction to persons 21 years of age or younger in an effort to direct that person’s judgment or conduct in a positive manner.
b. ]1The Commissioner of Community Affairs, in consultation with the Attorney General, shall establish a program to provide grants to organizations which 1[provide] offer or seek to offer1 mentoring services 1programs1 as defined in 1[this section. The grant program shall be administered by the commissioner] P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).1 Preference shall be given to those 1[programs] organizations1 which 1offer or seek to offer programs that1 provide youth with alternatives to membership in or association with criminal street gangs.
1[c.] b.1 An organization which elects to participate in the grant program shall submit an application to the commissioner in 1[such] the1 form 1and manner1 as prescribed by the commissioner. The application shall outline1:1 the applicant’s 1[program or program]1 proposal1[,] to offer existing or develop new mentoring services programs;1 sample activities1[,] and1 social service offerings1[,];1 existing funds 1available to the applicant for providing mentoring services;1 and the amount of the 1applicant’s1 grant request.
1[d.] c.1 Based upon the application, and subject to the availability of funds, the commissioner shall award a grant to each approved grant applicant to 1[assist in establishing or maintaining the] offer existing or develop new1 mentoring 1[program] programs1. The commissioner, to the extent possible, shall equitably distribute grant awards to successful applicants in 1the1 northern, central1,1 and southern 1[counties] regions1 of the State, and shall 1[include programs in] seek a cross section of approved grant applicants from1 urban, suburban and rural areas.
1[e. Any mentoring] d. Each1 organization that is awarded a grant 1to offer existing or develop new mentoring services programs pursuant to subsection b. of this section1 shall 1submit to the commissioner on an annual basis, a1 report 1[on an annual basis to the commissioner]1 on the status of 1[its program] the programs1. The report shall include, but not be limited to1[,]:1 information on 1the1 number of participants1[, the hours of] ; in the program;1 program 1hours of1 operation1[,];1 regular program activities1[,] and social service offerings;1 and the number and qualifications of program staff, including volunteers. The report shall be used by the commissioner to evaluate future grant applications.
1[f. Pursuant to the “Administrative Procedure Act,” P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.) the commissioner may promulgate rules and regulations necessary to implement the provisions of this act.]
e. As used in this section, “mentoring services programs” means programs administered by a duly incorporated non-profit organization to provide advice, support, opinion, or instruction to persons 21 years of age or younger in an effort to direct that person’s judgment or conduct in a positive manner.1
12. Pursuant to the “Administrative Procedure Act,” P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.) the commissioner shall promulgate rules and regulations necessary to implement the provisions of this act.1
1[2.] 3.1 This act shall take effect on the first day of the sixth month after enactment1[, but subsection f. of section 1 shall take effect immediately]1.