Permits certain transportation research contracts to be awarded to private research institutions of higher education and other entities.

A4665

ASSEMBLY, No. 4665

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

INTRODUCED MARCH 10, 2026

Sponsored by:

Assemblyman� CLINTON CALABRESE

District 36 (Bergen and Passaic)

SYNOPSIS

���� Permits certain transportation research contracts to
be awarded to private research institutions of higher education and other
entities.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� As introduced.

��

An Act

concerning
transportation research and amending P.L.2019, c.196.

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

���� 1.��� Section 4 of P.L.2019,
c.196 (C.27:1B-21.36) is amended to read as follows:

���� 4.��� a.� The New Jersey
Transportation Research Bureau within the Department of Transportation,
hereinafter referred to as the bureau, shall serve as a transportation research
center for the State.

���� b.��� The bureau shall award
research contracts to New Jersey public
and private
research
institutions of higher education
, or other entities,
to conduct the
research activities of the bureau.�
The bureau shall determine whether
awarding a research contract to a public or private research institution of
higher education or another entity is in the public interest.
� The award of
those research contracts shall be subject to all relevant existing State and
federally established public bidding regulations and processes.

���� c.���� The bureau shall
identify specific areas of transportation expertise
[
for
]

of
New Jersey public
and
private
research institutions of higher education,
and other entities,

where all research undertaken by the bureau

in that area of expertise
is to occur, and shall be subject to all relevant existing State and federally
established public bidding regulations and processes.

���� d.��� The Commissioner of
Transportation shall appoint a manager

for the bureau.� The duties of the manager

shall
include but not be limited to:

���� (1)�� Administering and
operating the bureau;

���� (2)�� Overseeing research
undertaken by the bureau;

���� (3)�� Establishing and
maintaining relationships with New Jersey public
and private
research
institutions of higher education
and other entities
;

���� (4)�� Supporting New Jersey
public research institutions of higher education in obtaining and maintaining
University Transportation Center status under the United States Department of
Transportation Federal Highway Administration's University Transportation Center
Program; and

���� (5)�� Authorizing
[
competitive
bidding for research contracts to include entities in addition to New Jersey
public research institutions of higher education, notwithstanding the
provisions of subsections b. and c. of this section to the contrary, after
making a written determination that the department stands to benefit from
additional competition in terms of quality of work product, timeliness of work
product delivery, or availability of expertise in one or more specific
transportation areas
]

the bureau to enter into research contracts pursuant to this section
.

���� e.���� Any contract entered
into pursuant to this section shall include a provision that requires research
conducted under the contract to consider the transportation and mobility needs
of New Jersey residents with physical, sensory, intellectual, and developmental
disabilities.

���� f.���� For purposes of this
section, "entities"
[
means
]

shall
include, but not be limited to,
an entity that is organized as a non-profit
organization.� "Entities" shall not include a municipal planning
organization or a municipal planning organization-related entity, regardless of
whether it is organized as a non-profit organization.

(cf: �P.L.2023, c.179, s.1)

���� 2.� This act shall take effect
immediately.

STATEMENT

���� This bill permits the New
Jersey Transportation Research Bureau within the Department of Transportation
(bureau) to award research contracts to private research institutions of higher
education and certain other entities.�

���� Under current law, the bureau
is required to award research contracts only to New Jersey public research
institutions of higher education, except when the manager of the bureau
(manager) makes a written determination that additional competition in terms of
quality of work product, timeliness of work product delivery, or availability
of specific transportation expertise from entities other than New Jersey public
research institutions will benefit the Department of Transportation
(department).�

���� The bill removes a provision
that authorizes the manager to allow for competitive bidding for research
contracts when doing so will benefit the department. The bill requires the
bureau to determine whether awarding a research contract to a public or private
research institution of higher education or another entity is in the public
interest and provides that the manager has a duty to establish and maintain
relationships with private research institutions of higher education and other
entities.�

���� Additionally, the bill changes
the definition of �entities� to include entities other than non-profit
organizations.���