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S3981
SENATE, No. 3981
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
222nd LEGISLATURE
�
INTRODUCED MARCH 19, 2026
Sponsored by:
Senator� ANTHONY M. BUCCO
District 25 (Morris and Passaic)
Co-Sponsored by:
Senator Corrado
SYNOPSIS
���� Establishes program in New Jersey Collaborating
Center for Nursing for support of residency programs at veterans� memorial
homes in New Jersey; appropriates $500,000.�
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
���� As introduced.
��
An Act
concerning residency programs for nurses, supplementing
and amending P.L.2002, c.116, and making an appropriation.
����
Be It
Enacted
by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:
���� 1.��� (New section)� a.� The
New Jersey Collaborating Center for Nursing (�NJCCN�) shall establish a program
through which veterans� memorial homes may apply to receive financial, material
and technical support from the NJCCN to implement a residency program for
licensed practical nurses and registered professional nurses, or one of these
professions.
���� 2.��� (New section)� a.� The
NJCCN shall:
���� (1)�� establish and update, as
necessary, requirements for a residency program created in accordance with
P.L.��� , c.��� (C.������� ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).�
The requirements shall include, at a minimum:
���� (a)�� a 12-month timeline for
a residency;
���� (b)�� a full-time schedule for
residents;
���� (c)�� support for residents by
a preceptor; and
���� (d)�� collection of data by
the memorial home to send to the NJCCN regarding the number of individuals who
completed a residency program with the memorial home and remained at the
memorial home after residency completion for full-time employment; and
���� (2)�� establish criteria for
eligibility of veterans� memorial homes to participate in the program created
in accordance with section 1 of P.L.��� , c.��� (C.������� ) (pending before
the Legislature as this bill).
���� b.��� To participate in the
program, established pursuant to section 1 of P.L.��� , c.��� (C.������� )
(pending before the Legislature as this bill), a veterans� memorial home shall
submit an application, in a form as determined by the NJCCN in consultation with
the advisory committee, and shall include the following information:
���� (1)�� the number of eligible
openings to be offered in a residency program; and
���� (2)�� the status of the
residency program as either newly established or being updated.
���� c.���� Applications shall be
approved on a first-come, first-served basis.
���� d.��� Upon approval of an
application, the New Jersey Board of Nursing shall provide funding to the NJCCN
to offer the financial, material and technical support to the approved
veterans� memorial home, in an amount determined based on various criteria,
including, but not limited to, the information submitted in the application
pursuant to paragraphs (1) through (3) of subsection b. of this section.
���� 3.��� (New section)� There is
appropriated from the General Fund to the New Jersey Collaborating Center for
Nursing the sum of $500,000 to effectuate the provisions of P.L.��� , c.���
(C.������� ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).
���� 4.��� Section 4 of P.L.2002,
c.116 (C.18A:65-92) is amended to read as follows:
���� 4.��� The board shall:
���� a.���� determine global
policies for the center;
���� b.��� implement the primary
goals of the center as established in this act;
���� c.���� appoint a
multidisciplinary advisory council to provide input and advice on policy
matters. The advisory council shall include representatives from all of the
organizations represented in the collaborative of New Jersey Colleagues in
Caring;
���� d.��� appoint a full-time
executive director who shall serve at the pleasure of the board and shall be a
person qualified by training and experience to perform the duties of the
office. The board shall authorize the executive director to employ such other
staff as the executive director deems necessary and within the limits of funds
available to the center.� All policies and procedures concerning the hiring of
center employees shall be the same as and consistent with the applicable
policies and procedures of Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey;
���� e.���� apply for and accept
grants of money available for carrying out the policies and activities of the
center from the federal government, and accept gifts, grants and bequests of
funds from individuals, foundations, corporations, governmental agencies and other
organizations and institutions to carry out the purposes of this act;
���� f.���� establish policies for
the appointment of members of the board; and
���� g.��� submit a report to the
Governor and the Legislature one year after the center is established, and
every two years thereafter, on its activities and findings.�
The report
shall include: (1) data on the participation of veterans� memorial homes in the
NJCCN program established pursuant to P.L.��� , c.��� (C.������� ) (pending
before the Legislature as this bill); and (2) funds spent in the previous two
years on materials and technical support supplied by the NJCCN to participating
veterans� memorial homes.
� The report may include such recommendations for
legislative action as the board deems appropriate. �The board shall make its
annual report available to members of the public, upon request.
(cf: P.L.2009, c.47, s.3)
���� 5.��� This act shall take
effect on the first day of the twelfth month next following enactment.
STATEMENT
���� This bill establishes a
program through which veterans� memorial homes in New Jersey may apply to
receive financial, material and technical support from the New Jersey
Collaborating Center for Nursing (�NJCCN�) to implement a residency program for
licensed practical nurses and registered professional nurses, or one of these
professions. �To manage the operations of the program, the bill appropriates
$500,000 to NJCCN.� Data on the residency programs is to be collected for
review by the Governor and Legislature.