SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

SENATE, No. 4206

with committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  DECEMBER 16, 2021

      The Senate Education Committee favorably reports Senate Bill No. 4206 with committee amendments.

      As amended, this bill requires the Department of Education to, in addition to the submission of any report concerning federal stimulus dollars that is required pursuant to federal law or any other State law, submit an annual report to the Governor and Legislature concerning the amount of grant funds received by the department and distributed to school districts pursuant to the federal “Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act,” Pub.L.116-136, the federal “Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations (CRRSA) Act, 2021” Pub.L. 116-260, the federal “American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act of 2021,” Pub.L.117-2, or any other federal funding made available to states to address the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.  The department would also be required to report the purposes for which grant funds were used by recipient school districts.  The department would further be required to submit a final report regarding the expenditure of federal grant funds received to address the impact of COVID-19 on public education no later than six months following the complete exhaustion of funds by recipient school districts.

      The report required by the provisions of this bill will be submitted in addition to any reports concerning federal stimulus dollars that are required pursuant to federal law or any other State law, including the report required by P.L.2021, c.133, the FY 22 appropriations act, that requires the New Jersey Department of Education to conduct impact analyses to measure the effectiveness of the proceeds of federal stimulus dollars by the State and local education agencies on closing academic learning gaps, accelerating student learning, closing the digital divide, and improving the social and emotional wellbeing of students. 

COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS:

      The committee amended the bill to clarify that the report required by the provisions of this bill be submitted in addition to any reports concerning federal stimulus dollars that are required pursuant to federal law or any other State law.