Establishes Public Service Management Fellows Program and advisory committee.

A4670

ASSEMBLY, No. 4670

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

INTRODUCED MARCH 10, 2026

Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman� AURA K. DUNN

District 25 (Morris and Passaic)

SYNOPSIS

���� Establishes Public Service Management Fellows Program
and advisory committee.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� As introduced.

��

An Act

establishing the Public Service Management
Fellows Program and an advisory committee, and supplementing chapter 11 of
Title 52 of the Revised Statutes. �

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

���� 1.�
There
is established in the Department of Labor and Workforce Development the Public
Service Management Fellows Program.� The program shall aim to attract to State
government service outstanding men and women from a variety of academic
disciplines at the graduate level who have a clear interest in, and commitment
to, the leadership and management of public policies and programs.

���� 2.� a.� The Department of
Labor and Workforce Development shall establish the eligibility requirements
and minimum qualifications for the program, as well as a process for assessing
eligible individuals for consideration for appointment as a fellow.�

���� b.� Each
fellow shall have received, within the preceding two years, a qualifying
degree, as determined by the Department of Labor and Workforce Development.�

���� c.� No more than 10 fellows
shall be selected each year and shall be assigned to work in an Executive
Branch department or agency.�

���� d.� Responsibilities assigned to
a fellow shall be consistent with the fellow�s qualifications, educational
background, career interests, the purposes of the fellows program, and the
needs of the assigned department or agency.�

���� e.� Appointments to a
fellowship shall not exceed two years, unless extended by the assigned
department or agency for up to a maximum of 120 days.� Appointment to a
department or agency shall confer no right to further employment.�

���� f.� Each fellow shall receive
a stipend during the period of their fellowship.�

���� 3.� There is established a
Public Service Management Fellows Program Advisory Committee.� The committee
shall consist of the commissioners of each Executive Branch department, or
their designees.�

���� The advisory committee shall
appoint a director of the Public Service Management Fellows Program,
established pursuant to section 1 of P.L.�� , c.�� (C.�� )(pending before the
Legislature as this bill), who shall administer the program and, in cooperation
with the advisory committee, recruit and select the fellows.� The director need
not be a commissioner, or a designee, of an Executive Branch department.

���� 4.� The State shall
appropriate funds in each fiscal year to finance the stipends provided to
fellows pursuant to section 2 of this act, P.L.�� , c.�� (C.�� )(pending before
the Legislature as this bill), in such sums as may be necessary, but not to
exceed an amount as shall be determined by the Director of the Division of
Budget and Accounting in the Department of the Treasury, and to effectuate the
purposes of the program established in accordance with section 1 of this act, P.L.���
, c.�� (C.������ ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).

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

STATEMENT

���� This bill establishes in the
Department of Labor and Workforce Development the Public Service Management
Fellows Program.� The purpose of the program is to attract to State government
service outstanding men and women from a variety of academic disciplines at the
graduate level who have a clear interest in, and commitment to, the leadership
and management of public policies and programs.

���� There is a significant need
and a value in promoting careers in the public sector at the State government
level among new workers who have recently completed graduate level education.�
The program created by this bill will promote careers in public service and, by
doing so, will help replace employees who have retired or left government
service.���

���� The Department of Labor and
Workforce Development will establish the eligibility requirements and minimum
qualifications for the program, as well as a process for assessing eligible
individuals for consideration for appointment as a fellow.�

���� Up to 10 fellows will be
selected each year and will be assigned to work in an Executive Branch
department or agency.� The appointments will not exceed two years, unless
extended by the assigned department or agency for up to an additional 120 days.
�Each fellow will receive a stipend during the period of their fellowship.� The
State will appropriate funds each fiscal year to finance the stipends.

���� The bill also establishes a Public
Service Management Fellows Program Advisory Committee.� The committee will
consist of the commissioners of each Executive Branch department, or their
designees.� The advisory committee will appoint a director to administer the
program and, in cooperation with the advisory committee, recruit and select the
fellows.