Establishes Social Media Research Center at four-year public institution of higher education.

A4014 1R ACS FISCAL ESTIMATE

LEGISLATIVE FISCAL ESTIMATE

[First Reprint]

ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR

ASSEMBLY, No. 4014

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

DATED: JULY 2, 2026

SUMMARY

Synopsis:

Establishes Social Media Research Center at four-year
public institution of higher education.

Type of Impact:

Annual State expenditure increase; annual revenue and
expenditure increases for the selected four-year public institution of higher
education.

Agencies Affected:

Office of the Secretary of Higher Education; Department of
Health; selected four-year public institution of higher education.

Office of
Legislative Services Estimate

Fiscal Impact

Annual

State Expenditure Increase

Indeterminate

Selected Four-Year
Public Institution of Higher Education Revenue Increase

Indeterminate

Selected Four-Year
Public Institution of Higher Education Potential Expenditure Increase

Indeterminate

�

The Office of Legislative Services (OLS) finds that this bill
will lead to an annual State expenditure increase to support the establishment
of a Social Media Research Center at a four-year public institution of higher
education.� The magnitude of the State expenditure increase will depend on the
amount annually appropriated for the center.�

�

The OLS notes that, while the bill does not explicitly include an
appropriation for the center, the FY2027 Governor�s Budget recommends a
$500,000 appropriation for a Social Media Research Center.�

�

The four-year public institution of higher education selected to
house the Social Media Research Center would experience expenditure increases
from utilizing the funds provided through the annual appropriations act and any
other funds received from grants, gifts, donations, or other public or private
sources.

BILL DESCRIPTION

����� This bill establishes a Social Media Research Center
at a four-year public institution of higher education for the purpose of
carrying out collaborative and interdisciplinary research to create and support
the use of impartial and actionable science to advance efforts in understanding
social media use, mitigating the negative impacts of social media, and
promoting healthy and responsible social media use. The Office of the Secretary
of Higher Education, in coordination with the Office of Youth Online Mental
Health Safety and Awareness in the Department of Health, is required to choose
the four-year public institution of higher education at which the center will
be hosted.

The center�s research, analysis,
and outreach activities will include: (1) studying the impacts of social media
consumption on the residents of the State and mitigating any negative impacts
of such consumption; (2) making policy recommendations to the Legislature,
Governor, and key stakeholders to address the mental, physical, and behavioral
health challenges posed by social media use, particularly for children and
adolescents; (3) establishing online courses and training modules concerning
safe social media use, which will be made available at no charge to schools in
the State; and (4) conducting research, and making recommendations, on such
topics as may be required by law related to the impact of addictive social
media behaviors on children and minors and the extent to which warning labels
and other disclaimers reduce addictive social media behaviors.

FISCAL ANALYSIS

EXECUTIVE BRANCH

����� None received.

OFFICE OF LEGISLATIVE SERVICES

����� The OLS finds that this bill will lead to an annual
State expenditure increase to support the establishment of a Social Media
Research Center at a four-year public institution of higher education.� The
magnitude of the State expenditure increase will depend on the amount annually
appropriated for the center.� The OLS notes that while the bill does not
explicitly include an appropriation for the center, the FY2027 Governor�s
Budget recommends a $500,000 appropriation for a Social Media Research Center. �Proposed
budget language requires the Secretary of Higher Education, in disbursing the
appropriation, to select an institution of higher education to study the
relationship between digital technology and children�s mental health and
wellbeing.�

����� The four-year public institution of higher education
selected to house the Social Media Research Center would experience expenditure
increases from utilizing the funds provided through the annual appropriations
act and any other funds received from grants, gifts, donations, or other public
or private sources.

����� For the purposes of comparison, the OLS notes that
there is a recurring appropriation in the Office of the Secretary of Higher
Education�s portion of the State budget for the New Jersey Gun Violence
Research Center, which is a research center housed at the Rutgers University
School of Public Health that provides high-quality, multi-disciplinary research
on gun violence causality and prevention.� Since FY2019, full-year expenditures
made by this center have ranged between $500,000 and $3 million.�

Section:

Education

Analyst:

Jessica Rueb

Associate Research Analyst

Approved:

Thomas Koenig

Legislative Budget and Finance Officer

This legislative fiscal estimate has been produced by the
Office of Legislative Services due to the failure of the Executive Branch to
respond to our request for a fiscal note.

This fiscal estimate has been prepared pursuant to P.L.1980,
c.67 (C.52:13B-6 et seq.).