Establishes Autism Education Council.

S3650

SENATE, No. 3650

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

INTRODUCED FEBRUARY 24, 2026

Sponsored by:

Senator� LINDA R. GREENSTEIN

District 14 (Mercer and Middlesex)

Senator� KRISTIN M. CORRADO

District 40 (Bergen, Essex and Passaic)

Co-Sponsored by:

Senator Burgess

SYNOPSIS

���� Establishes Autism Education Council.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� As introduced.

��

An Act

establishing the Autism Education Council and supplementing Title 18A of the
New Jersey Statutes.

����
Be It Enacted

by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:

���� 1.��� This act shall be known
and may be cited as the "New Jersey Autism Education Act."

���� 2.��� The Legislature finds
and declares that:

���� a.���� Autism spectrum
disorders, neurological disorders that cause mild to severe social,
communication and other impairments in an individual, generally appear during
the first three years of life and continue over a lifetime, resulting in
significant and long-term emotional and financial distress to both the autistic
individual and the family members who care for him;�

���� b.��� The cost of caring for
individuals with autism spectrum disorders is tremendous, particularly since
many autistic individuals must reside in specialized settings such as group
homes throughout most of their lives.� One estimate reports that the cost of autism
in the State exceeds one billion dollars each year;�

���� c.���� Although the exact
prevalence of autism spectrum disorders is unknown, it is estimated by the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that 2
to 6 per 1,000 children have an autism spectrum disorder.� The disorders are
four times more likely to occur in boys than in girls and are more common among
children than many better known disabilities, such as diabetes and Down
syndrome;�

���� d.��� There is no known cure
for autism spectrum disorders although specialized educational therapies and
approaches are available that may help manage its symptoms.� It is therefore
imperative that the parents of an affected child work collaboratively with the
school district to arrange the most appropriate education for their child;

���� e.���� However, a history of
inattention to autism spectrum disorders by the education community coupled
with a sharp increase in the number of new diagnoses of the condition has
resulted in a situation in which the educational needs of autistic children
greatly exceed both the range of autism education services currently available
and the capacity of the workforce that is qualified to provide them; and

���� f.���� The parents, school
districts, and local taxpayers across the State who struggle to finance costly
education programs for autistic children would benefit from an Autism Education
Council which seeks to better develop the capacity of the autism education workforce
in this State and broaden the array of services available to students with
autism in the public schools.

���� 3.��� As used in this act:

���� "Autism" means
autism spectrum disorders to the extent determined by the council to be
appropriate;�

���� "Council" means the
Autism Education Council created pursuant to this act.�

���� 4.��� a.� There is established
an Autism Education Council in, but not of, the Department of Education.� The
council shall consist of seven members including the Commissioner of Education,
or his designee, who shall serve ex officio, and six public members to be
appointed by the Governor, including two public school teachers and one
representative of each of the following organizations: Parents of Autistic
Children, The New Jersey Center for Outreach Services for the Autism Community,
The Family Resource Network, and ASPEN.� To the greatest extent practicable,
consideration shall be given to the appointment of members from these
organizations who possess some teaching experience.� The two public school
teachers appointed to the council shall have a Master's Degree in Education or
other relevant subject area, certification as a Board Certified Behavior
Analyst by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board, and a minimum of five
years' experience as a teacher.

���� The commissioner or his
designee shall serve as chairman of the council. The two teachers on the
council shall serve for two-year terms and all other members shall serve for
three-year terms.� Each member shall hold office for the term of appointment
and until a successor is appointed and qualified.

���� Vacancies in the membership of
the commission shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointments
are made and a member may be eligible for reappointment.� Vacancies occurring
other than by expiration of a term shall be filled for the unexpired term.�

���� The members of the council
shall serve without compensation but shall be reimbursed for the reasonable
expenses necessarily incurred in the performance of their duties within the
limits of funds appropriated or otherwise made available to the council for its
purposes.�

���� b.��� The council shall
organize no later than 30 days after the appointment of its members and shall
meet periodically at the call of the chairman, but not less than six times in
each year.� A majority of the members of the council shall constitute a quorum,
but a lesser number may hold hearings.�

���� c.���� The chairman shall
appoint a salaried administrator for the council and shall provide the council
with additional administrative staff and support as may be necessary to enable
the council to carry out its functions.

���� 5.��� It shall be the duty of
the council to:

���� a.���� establish a five-member
Educational Advisory Committee whose members shall serve at the pleasure of the
council.� Three members of the committee shall be appointed by the chairman of
the council and shall include one director of special education in a public
school district and two chairpersons, coordinators, or other individuals in
charge of teacher preparation programs for special education teachers.� Two
members of the committee shall be appointed by a majority vote of the council.�

���� The committee shall identify
and make recommendations to the council regarding the most effective use of
grant funds to improve the quality and availability of public school services
and programs for children with autism.� The committee shall identify potential
grant recipients who represent a variety of research-based approaches to
educating children with autism.

���� b.��� award grants through the
Department of Education, upon recommendation of the Educational Advisory
Committee established pursuant to subsection a. of this section, to public
school districts and public institutions of higher education to increase the
quality and availability of public school services and programs for children
with autism.� Grants may be used to offset the costs of:

���� (1)�� professional development
and educational activities for educators and other individuals working with
children with autism in the public schools and for students of postsecondary
institutions who are pursuing education careers working with children with autism.�
Appropriate activities include programs, workshops, institutes, seminars and
other training activities that will enhance the skills and capacity of current
and future educators to work with autistic children;

���� (2)�� hiring additional
paraprofessionals to work directly with children with autism in the public
schools; and

���� (3)�� supplemental education
services for children with autism in the public schools including after-school
socialization programs, recreation programs, transitional planning services,
and other appropriate services.

���� c.���� establish mechanisms to
monitor the impact of the grants distributed by the council and to submit an
annual report to the Governor, the Legislature, and all public school districts
one year after the council is established, and every year thereafter, on its
activities.� The report shall identify the number of grants distributed and the
amount, recipient, purpose, and impact of each grant.� The council shall make
its annual report available to members of the public, upon request.

���� 6.��� a.� Beginning in Fiscal
Year 2026 and in each fiscal year thereafter until Fiscal Year 2033, the
Governor shall recommend and the Legislature shall appropriate $10,000,000 from
the General Fund to the Department of Education for the Autism Education
Council.

���� b.��� Of the amount
appropriated under subsection a. of this section, a minimum of $9,600,000 shall
be used annually to fund grants.�

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

STATEMENT

���� This bill establishes the
Autism Education Council in, but not of, the Department of Education.� The
council will consist of seven members including the Commissioner of Education,
or his designee, who will serve ex officio, and six public members to be appointed
by the Governor, including two public school teachers and one representative of
each of the following organizations: Parents of Autistic Children, The New
Jersey Center for Outreach Services for the Autism Community, The Family
Resource Network, and ASPEN.� To the greatest extent practicable, consideration
will be given to the appointment of members from these organizations who
possess some teaching experience.� The two public school teachers appointed to
the council will have a Master's Degree in Education or other relevant subject
area, certification as a Board Certified Behavior Analyst by the Behavior
Analyst Certification Board, and a minimum of five years' experience as a
teacher.� The commissioner or his designee will serve as chairman of the council.

���� The council will establish a
five-member Educational Advisory Committee whose members will serve at the
pleasure of the council.� Three members of the committee will be appointed by
the chairman of the council and will include one director of special education
in a public school district and two chairpersons, coordinators, or other
individuals in charge of teacher preparation programs for special education
teachers.� Two members of the committee will be appointed by a majority vote of
the council.� The committee will identify and make recommendations to the
council regarding the most effective use of grant funds to improve the quality
and availability of public school services and programs for children with
autism.� The committee will identify potential grant recipients who represent a
variety of research-based approaches to educating children with autism.

���� The council will award grants
through the Department of Education, upon recommendation of the Educational
Advisory Committee, to public school districts and public institutions of
higher education to increase the quality and availability of public school
services and programs for children with autism.� Grants may be used to offset
the costs of: professional development and educational activities for educators
and other individuals working with children with autism in the public schools
and for students of postsecondary institutions who are pursuing education
careers working with children with autism; hiring additional paraprofessionals
to work directly with children with autism in the public schools; and
supplemental education services for children with autism in the public schools
including after-school socialization programs, recreation programs,
transitional planning services, and other appropriate services.

���� The council will establish
mechanisms to monitor the impact of the grants distributed by the council and
will submit an annual report to the Governor, the Legislature, and all public
school districts.� The report will identify the number of grants distributed
and the amount, recipient, purpose, and impact of each grant.

���� The bill directs the Governor
to recommend and the Legislature to appropriate $10,000,000 annually beginning
in fiscal year 2026 through fiscal year 2033 to the Department of Education for
the Autism Education Council. Of the amount appropriated, a minimum of
$9,600,000 must be used annually to fund grants.