Establishes Private Institution of Higher Education Security Grant Program; appropriates $5 million.

S3932

SENATE, No. 3932

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

INTRODUCED MARCH 12, 2026

Sponsored by:

Senator� ROBERT W. SINGER

District 30 (Monmouth and Ocean)

SYNOPSIS

���� Establishes Private Institution of Higher Education
Security Grant Program; appropriates $5 million.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� As introduced.

��

An Act

establishing a Private Institution of Higher
Education Security Grant Program, supplementing Appendix A, and making an
appropriation.

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

���� 1.��� As used in this act:

���� �Director� means the Director
of the Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness.

���� �Private institution of higher
education� means
an independent or private institution
of higher education in the State that is licensed by the Secretary of Higher
Education and accredited or preaccredited by a nationally recognized
accrediting association.� Private institutions shall also include certain
proprietary institutions but only for certain degree granting programs as
approved by the secretary.

���� �Secretary� means the
Secretary of Higher Education.

���� 2.��� a.� There is established
the �
Private Institution of Higher Education Security
Grant Program
� in the Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness for the
purpose of providing grants to eligible private institutions of higher
education that the Director of the Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness
in consultation with the Secretary of Higher Education determines are at a high
risk of being the target of unlawful activity, including, but not limited to,
acts of violence, property damage, vandalism, harassment, and cyber security incidents.

���� b.� Grants provided under the
program shall be used by the grant recipient for purposes including, but not
limited to:

���� (1) �hiring permanent or
temporary security personnel or contracting for private security personnel;

���� (2) �acquiring equipment for
the purpose of preparedness against threats, attacks, and other violent acts;
or

���� (3) �installing cameras,
access controls, alarms, lighting, and other related equipment and
infrastructure.

���� c.� The director, in
consultation with the secretary, shall administer the Private Institution of
Higher Education Security Grant Program. Subject to availability of funds,
there shall annually be distributed grants to approved private institutions of
higher education. The director may adjust the grant amounts based upon the
final availability of funds, analytical trends, and emerging threats.

���� d.� A private institution of
higher education shall apply to receive a grant under the program on a form and
in a manner prescribed by the director. The application shall include a
description of the purposes for which a grant awarded under the program would
be used.

���� e.� In evaluating applications
for grants under the program, the office shall first evaluate whether the
applicant private institution of higher education is at high risk of terrorist
attacks, threats, domestic extremism, cyber security incidents, and other
violent attacks. In awarding grants under the program, the director shall give
preference to applicants that have not received a federal or State security
grant in the previous two academic years.

���� 3.��� There is appropriated
from the General Fund to the Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness the
sum of $5,000,000 to effectuate the purposes of this act.

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

STATEMENT

���� This bill establishes the
Private Institution of Higher Education Security Grant Program in the Office of
Homeland Security and Preparedness.

���� The purpose of the program is
to provide funding to private institutions of higher education that the
Director of the Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness determines are at
a high risk of being the target of unlawful activity, including, but not limited
to, acts of violence, property damage, vandalism, harassment, and cyber
security incidents. Private institutions of higher education are defined under
the bill as independent or private institutions of higher education in the
State that are licensed by the Secretary of Higher Education and accredited or
preaccredited by a nationally recognized accrediting association.� Private
institutions also include certain proprietary institutions but only for certain
degree granting programs as approved by the secretary.

���� Grants under the program may
be used for purposes such as: (1) hiring permanent or temporary security
personnel or contracting for private security personnel; (2) acquiring
equipment for the purpose of preparedness against threats, attacks, and other
violent acts; or (3) installing cameras, access controls, alarms, lighting, and
related infrastructure.

���� A private institution of
higher education would apply for a grant in a manner and form to be determined
by the director. The application is required to include a description of the
purposes for which a grant awarded under the program would be used. In evaluating
applications, the Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness is required to
first evaluate whether an applicant institution is at high risk of terrorist
attacks, threats, domestic extremism, cyber security incidents, and other
violent attacks. In selecting grant recipients, the director is to give
preference to applicants that have not received a federal or State security
grant in the previous two academic years.

���� The bill appropriates $5
million from the General Fund to the program.