Establishes Commission on Oversight of Public Institutions of Higher Education.

A2108

ASSEMBLY, No. 2108

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman LINDA S. CARTER

District 22 (Somerset and Union)

Assemblywoman CARMEN THERESA MORALES

District 34 (Essex)

Co-Sponsored by:

Assemblywomen Speight, Park and Haider

SYNOPSIS

���� Establishes Commission on Oversight of Public
Institutions of Higher Education.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative
Counsel.

��

An Act
establishing a commission to examine the structure of
public institutions of higher education in New Jersey.

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

���� 1.��� a.� There is established the Commission on
the Oversight of Public Institutions of Higher Education. The purpose of the
commission shall be to examine the structure of public higher education and
recommend ways to improve financial transparency, accountability, and oversight
of the public institutions of higher education.

���� b.��� The commission shall consist of the
following 12 members:

���� (1) the Secretary of Higher Education, or a
designee, who shall serve ex officio;

���� (2) the Executive Director of the Higher
Education Student Assistance Authority, or a designee, who shall serve ex
officio;

���� (3) two members appointed by the Governor, who
shall include: the president of a State college or university established
pursuant to chapter 64 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes, or a designee
and the president of a public research university, or a designee;

���� (4) four members appointed by legislative
leadership as follows: the president of a county college, or a designee,
appointed by the Senate President; the president of a county college, or a
designee, appointed by the Senate Minority Leader; one member representing a
public-sector higher education labor union, appointed by the Speaker of the
General Assembly; and one full time faculty member employed by a public
institution of higher education in New Jersey, appointed by the Assembly
Minority Leader;

���� (5) one member with expertise, knowledge, or
experience in the fiscal management of institutions of higher education,
appointed by the Governor; and

���� (6) three student representatives appointed by
the Governor, upon recommendation of the Secretary of Higher Education pursuant
to subsection c. of this section as follows: one student representative from a
public research university; one student representative from the State colleges
and universities established pursuant to chapter 64 of Title 18A of the New
Jersey Statutes; and one student representative from the county colleges.

���� c.���� A student enrolled in a public
institution of higher education in the State may submit an application to serve
on the commission to the Secretary of Higher Education. The application shall
detail the student�s experience as a campus leader. In making the appointments,
the secretary shall attempt to provide a balanced representation of the
geographic regions of the State.

���� d.��� Appointments to the commission shall be
made within 60 days following the effective date of this act. Vacancies in the
membership of the commission shall be filled in the same manner as the original
appointments were made. Members of the commission shall serve without
compensation, but shall be reimbursed for necessary expenditures incurred in
the performance of their duties as members of the commission within the limits
of funds appropriated or otherwise made available to the commission for its
purposes.

���� 2.��� The commission shall organize as soon as
practicable following the appointment of its members, but no later than 90 days
after the effective date of this act. The commission shall choose a chairperson
from among its members and shall appoint a secretary who need not be a member
of the commission. The commission shall meet a minimum of three times. The
minutes of each meeting shall be posted on the website of the Office of the
Secretary of Higher Education.

���� 3.��� The Office of the Secretary of Higher
Education shall provide such stenographic, clerical, and other administrative
assistants, and such professional staff as the commission requires to carry out
its work. The commission also shall be entitled to call to its assistance and
avail itself of the services of the employees of any State, county, or
municipal department, board, bureau, commission, or agency as it may require
and as may be available for its purposes.

���� 4.��� The commission shall study and evaluate:

���� a.���� the financial transparency of public
institutions of higher education, including the transparency of information,
data, and disclosures provided to students and their families about tuition and
fees, total net price, and student loan debt;

���� b.��� accountability of public institutions of
higher education, including but not limited to, the performance evaluation
capabilities of the institutions, program quality and student outcomes, and any
measures put in place to protect students and families from predatory lending;
and

���� c.���� oversight of public institutions of
higher education.

���� 5.��� The commission shall issue a final report
to the Governor, and the Legislature pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164
(C.52:14-19.1), no later than 180 days after the commission organizes. The
report shall contain the commission�s findings and recommendations regarding
the organization of public institutions of higher education in the State with
regards to financial transparency, accountability, and oversight.

���� 6.��� This act shall take
effect immediately and shall expire on the 30th day following submission of the
report required pursuant to section 5 of this act.

STATEMENT

���� This bill establishes the
Commission on the Oversight of Public Institutions of Higher Education within
the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education.

���� Under the bill, the commission
would examine and report on the structure of public higher education and
recommend ways to improve financial transparency, accountability, and oversight
of the public institutions of higher education in the State. The commission
would consist of 12 members. The members would include: the Secretary of Higher
Education, or a designee, serving ex officio; the Executive Director of the
Higher Education Student Assistance Authority, or a designee, serving ex
officio; two members appointed by the Governor, including the president of a
State college or university, or a designee, and the president of a public
research university, or a designee; the following four members appointed by
legislative leadership including: the president of a county college, or a
designee, appointed by the Senate President; the president of a county college,
or a designee, appointed by the Senate Minority Leader; a member representing a
public-sector higher education labor union, appointed by the Speaker of the
General Assembly; a full time faculty member employed by a public institution
of higher education, appointed by the Assembly Minority Leader; one member with
expertise, knowledge, or experience in the fiscal management of institutions of
higher education, appointed by the Governor; one student representative from a
public research university; one student representative from the State colleges
or universities; and one student representative from the county colleges. The
student representatives would be appointed by the Governor, upon the
recommendation of the Secretary of Higher Education through an application
process.

���� The purpose of this commission
is to bring together management of public institutions of higher education,
students, faculty, staff, and union leadership to make recommendations on
higher education, with a special emphasis on financial transparency, accountability,
and oversight. The commission is responsible for examining issues related to
the financial transparency, accountability, and oversight of public
institutions of higher education. The commission would meet a minimum of three
times. This bill requires the commission to submit a report to the Governor and
the Legislature outlining the commission�s recommendations to improve the
structure of higher education in the State. The commission would issue the
report to the Governor and the Legislature within 180 days after the commission
organizes. The commission, and its enabling legislation, would expire 30 days
after the issuance of its report to the Governor and the Legislature.�