SENATE BUDGET AND APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

SENATE, No. 4211

with committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  DECEMBER 16, 2021

      The Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee reports favorably Senate Bill No. 4211, with committee amendments.

     As amended, this bill provides for the establishment of county college-based adult centers for transition, which will serve individuals with developmental disabilities up to the age of 24.  The bill also makes an annual appropriation of $4.5 million for the bill’s purposes. 

     This bill requires the board of trustees of each county college to establish a county college-based adult center for transition for individuals with developmental disabilities up to the age of 24 to experience a more successful transition from secondary school to postsecondary education, adult employment, and independent living opportunities and skills, as appropriate.  Under the bill, the board is required to appoint a person qualified by training and experience to direct and administer the adult center for transition. 

     The bill provides that the purpose of a county college-based adult center will be to:

     (1)   coordinate and integrate existing county and State-based services, programs, and resources; and

     (2)   ensure that individuals with developmental disabilities up to the age of 24 have opportunities to receive mentoring, job coaching, skill training, and any other appropriate wrap-around services to help them make a successful transition into employment and independent living, as appropriate.

The bill permits the board of trustees of a county college, through a contract with the board of trustees of another county college, to satisfy the bill’s requirement to establish an adult center for transition by providing individuals with developmental disabilities up to the age of 24 who reside in the county with access to the services offered by the contracted county college’s adult center for transition.

     Under the bill, the board of trustees of a county college may receive and expend moneys from the State and federal governments or private individuals, corporations, associations, or college foundations to meet the expenses of the county college-based adult center for transition.

     The bill also provides for an annual appropriation from the General Fund to the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education in the amount of $4,500,000 for the purposes of fulfilling the bill’s provisions.  The bill directs the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education to distribute grants to county college-based adult centers for transition in such amounts and by such criteria as are determined by the Secretary of Higher Education.  

COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS:

      The committee amended the bill to permit the board of trustees of a county college, through a contract with the board of trustees of another county college, to satisfy the bill’s requirement to establish an adult center for transition by providing individuals with developmental disabilities up to the age of 24 who reside in the county with access to the services offered by the contracted county college’s adult center for transition.

FISCAL IMPACT:

      The Office of Legislative Services notes that this bill will lead to a State expenditure increase of $4.5 million in FY 2022 to provide grants to county colleges to establish centers for transition for individuals with developmental disabilities.  Annual State costs thereafter are indeterminate.  County colleges will incur indeterminate annual expenditures to operate these centers and provide the services outlined in the bill, which may or may not be offset by the grant revenues.  Assuming this appropriation is split evenly among the State’s 18 county colleges, each county college would receive $250,000.