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A2227
ASSEMBLY, No. 2227
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
222nd LEGISLATURE
�
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman SHANIQUE SPEIGHT
District 29 (Essex and Hudson)
SYNOPSIS
���� Provides incentives for certified nurse aides and
nursing students to work as direct support professionals; makes appropriation.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
���� Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative
Counsel.
��
An Act
concerning direct support professionals, supplementing
Title 26 and Title 45 of the Revised Statutes, and making an appropriation.
����
Be It
Enacted
by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:
���� 1.� a.� The Department of
Health shall establish a certified nurse aide funding program to distribute
monies to employers of certified nurse aides, who provide direct support
professional services under the employer, in an amount that is necessary to compensate
the certified nurse aide for work as a direct support professional at the pay
rate equal to the pay rate typically paid for certified nurse aide services, as
determined by the department.� The monies shall be used by the employers to
incentivize certified nurse aides who are employed by the employer to work as
direct support professionals.� The Commissioner of Health shall establish an
application process, guidelines, and compliance standards for the certified
nurse aide funding program.
���� 2.� The New Jersey Board of
Nursing shall require schools of nursing approved by the board to grant a
nursing student, who works as a direct support professional, academic credit
towards the student�s nursing degree for the student�s experience as a direct
support professional.
���� 3.� The Commissioner of Health
and the New Jersey Board of Nursing shall each adopt rules and regulations,
pursuant to the �Administrative Procedure Act,� P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et
seq.), as may be necessary to implement the provisions of this act.
���� 4.� There is appropriated from
the General Fund to the Department of Health such funds as are necessary to
effectuate the provisions of this act.
���� 5.� This act shall take effect
immediately.
STATEMENT
���� This bill provides incentives
for certified nurse aides and nursing students to work as direct support
professionals.
���� The bill establishes a
certified nurse aide funding program in the Department of Health (DOH) to
distribute monies to employers of certified nurse aides, who provide direct
support professional services under the employer, in an amount that is
necessary to compensate the certified nurse aide for work as a direct support
professional at the pay rate equal to the pay rate typically paid for certified
nurse aide services, as determined by the DOH.� The Commissioner of Health will
establish an application process, guidelines, and compliance standards for the
certified nurse aide funding program.
���� Under the bill, the New Jersey
Board of Nursing (board) will require schools of nursing approved by the board
to grant a nursing student, who works as a direct support professional,
academic credit towards the student�s nursing degree for the student�s experience
as a direct support professional.
���� The bill appropriates from the
General Fund to the Department of Health such funds as are necessary to
effectuate the provisions of the bill.