Requires DCF to adopt policies and procedures providing child care facilities with security services, equipment, or technology.

A4565

ASSEMBLY, No. 4565

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

INTRODUCED MARCH 10, 2026

Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman� ROSAURA "ROSY" BAGOLIE

District 27 (Essex and Passaic)

Assemblywoman� ANNETTE QUIJANO

District 20 (Union)

SYNOPSIS

���� Requires DCF to adopt policies and procedures
providing child care facilities with security services, equipment, or
technology.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� As introduced.

��

An Act

concerning licensed child care facilities and
supplementing Title 30 of the Revised Statutes.

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

���� 1.� As used in this act:

���� �Child care facility� or
�facility� means any facility licensed pursuant to the "Child Care Center
Licensing Act," P.L.1983, c.492 (C.30:5B-1 et seq.).

���� 2.� The Department of Children
and Families shall, within the limit of funds appropriated or otherwise made
available, adopt policies and procedures to provide a child care facility with
security services, equipment, or technology to establish a safe and secure
environment for the children enrolled at the facility.

���� 3.� a.� The Commissioner of
Children and Families shall confer annually with the owner or sponsor of a
child care facility to:

���� (1) advise the facility of the
limit of funds available pursuant to this act;

���� (2) agree upon the security
services, equipment, or technology to be provided to the facility to establish
a safe and secure environment for the children enrolled at the facility, within
the limit of the funds that are available; and

���� (3) agree on the date when the
facility�s owner or sponsor shall approve how the security services, equipment,
or technology will be provided to the facility.

���� b.� In the event that the
commissioner and an owner or sponsor of a child care facility are unable to
agree upon the types of security services, equipment, or technology that shall
be provided to the facility pursuant to paragraph (2) of subsection a. of this
section, the commissioner shall make the final determination on the types of
security services, equipment, or technology that shall be provided.� The
decision of the commissioner shall be final.

���� 4.� A child care facility and
its employees shall be immune from civil liability in the provision of security
services, equipment, or technology pursuant to the provisions of this act,
except for actions that constitute gross negligence or willful misconduct.

���� 5.� The Department of Children
and Families shall adopt, pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure
Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), rules and regulations to effectuate
the purposes of this act, including developing a list of allowable expenditures
for security services, equipment, or technology to establish a safe and secure
environment for children enrolled at a child care facility.

���� 6.� This act shall take effect
on the first day of the third month next following enactment, except that the
Department of Children and Families may take any anticipatory administrative
action in advance as shall be necessary for the implementation of this act.

STATEMENT

���� This bill requires the
Department of Children and Families, within the limit of funds appropriated or
made available, to adopt policies and procedures to provide a child care
facility with security services, equipment, or technology to establish a safe
and secure environment for the children enrolled at the facility.� As used in
the bill, �child care facility� or �facility� means any facility licensed
pursuant to the "Child Care Center Licensing Act," P.L.1983, c.492
(C.30:5B-1 et seq.).

���� The bill also requires the Commissioner
of Children and Families to confer annually with the owner or sponsor of a
child care facility to:� (1) advise the facility of the limit of funds
available pursuant to the bill; (2) agree upon the security services,
equipment, or technology to be provided to the facility to establish a safe and
secure environment for the children enrolled at the facility, within the limit
of the funds available; and (3) agree on the date when the facility�s owner or
sponsor is to approve how the security services, equipment, or technology will
be provided to the facility.

���� If the commissioner and an
owner or sponsor of a child care facility are unable to agree upon the types of
security services, equipment, or technology that will be provided to the
facility, the commissioner is to make the final determination on the types of services,
equipment, or technology that will be provided, and the commissioner�s decision
is final.

���� The provisions of the bill
stipulate that a child care facility and its employees are immune from civil
liability in the provision of security services, equipment, or technology,
except for actions that constitute gross negligence or willful misconduct.