Establishes Nursing School Expansion Grant Program; appropriates $25 million.

S4028

SENATE, No. 4028

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

INTRODUCED MARCH 19, 2026

Sponsored by:

Senator� JOSEPH F. VITALE

District 19 (Middlesex)

SYNOPSIS

���� Establishes Nursing School Expansion Grant Program;
appropriates $25 million.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� As introduced.

��

An Act
concerning nurses, supplementing Title 34 of the
Revised Statutes, and making an appropriation.

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

���� 1.��� a.� As used in this
section:

���� "Authority" means
the New Jersey Economic Development Authority established by section 4 of
P.L.1974, c.80 (C.34:1B-4).

���� "Chief Executive
Officer" means the Chief Executive Officer of the New Jersey Economic
Development Authority.

���� �Eligible nursing education
program� means an accredited nursing education program located in the State at
a public institution of higher education, independent institution of higher
education, or hospital-based nursing school.�

���� �Program� means the Nursing
School Expansion Grant Program established pursuant to this section.

���� b.��� There is established the
Nursing School Expansion Grant Program to be administered by the New Jersey
Economic Development Authority.� The program shall provide grants to eligible nursing
education programs in the State to increase their capacity and improve the
supply of the nursing workforce.�

���� c.���� An eligible nursing
education program may submit an application for grant funding through the
program to the Chief Executive Officer.� An application shall include
information and data, in such form and in such manner as is required by the
Chief Executive Officer, on:

���� (1)�� the enrollment and
graduation rates for the three academic years preceding the date of the
application;

���� (2) the projected plan to
increase enrollment and graduation targets;

���� (3) the demographic profile
of current students, faculty, and staff and specific plans to increase the
diversity of the nursing workforce;

���� (4) any plans for faculty
expansions in order to meet the needs of an increased student body;

���� (5) any partnerships,
connections, or pathways between licensed practical nursing programs, diploma
or certificate programs, associate�s degree programs, baccalaureate degree
programs, and graduate level programs in nursing and nursing education;

���� (6) student pass rates for
examinations administered by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing;
and

���� (7) such other information as
the Chief Executive Officer may require.�

���� d.��� The Chief Executive
Officer, in consultation with the New Jersey Collaborating Center for Nursing,
shall develop criteria for the evaluation of applications for grants.� Based
upon the criteria developed, and within the limits of available appropriations,
the Chief Executive Officer shall award grants to eligible nursing education
programs in such amounts as the Chief Executive Officer determines.�

���� 2.��� The New Jersey Economic
Development Authority shall adopt rules and regulations, pursuant to the
"Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.),
as shall be necessary to implement the provisions of this act.

���� 3.�
There
is appropriated from the General Fund to the New Jersey Economic Development
Authority the sum of $25,000,000 to effectuate the purposes of this act.� The
authority shall issue grants in the amount of $24,500,000 and shall expend no
more than $500,000 for the administrative costs of the program.

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

STATEMENT

���� The bill establishes the
Nursing School Expansion Grant Program, which will be administered by the New
Jersey Economic Development Authority.� Under the bill, the program will
provide grants to eligible nursing education programs in the State to increase
their capacity and improve the supply of the nursing workforce.� The bill also
appropriates $25 million from the General Fund to the authority for the bill�s
purposes.��

���� Under the bill, an eligible
nursing education program may submit an application for grant funding through
the program to the Chief Executive Officer.� An application is required to
include information and data, in such form and in such manner as is required by
the Chief Executive Officer, on:

���� (1)�� the enrollment and
graduation rates for the three academic years preceding the date of the
application;

���� (2) the projected plan to
increase enrollment and graduation targets;

���� (3) the demographic profile
of current students, faculty, and staff and specific plans to increase the
diversity of the nursing workforce;

���� (4) any plans for faculty
expansions in order to meet the needs of an increased student body;

���� (5) any partnerships,
connections, or pathways between licensed practical nursing programs, diploma
or certificate programs, associate�s degree programs, baccalaureate degree
programs, and graduate level programs in nursing and nursing education;

���� (6) student pass rates for
examinations administered by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing;
and

���� (7) such other information as
the Chief Executive Officer may require.�

���� The bill directs the Chief
Executive Officer, in consultation with the New Jersey Collaborating Center for
Nursing, to develop criteria for the evaluation of applications for grants.�
Based upon the criteria developed, and within the limit of available appropriations,
the Chief Executive Officer will award grants to eligible nursing education
programs in such amounts as the officer determines.�

���� The bill directs the authority
to issue grants in the amount of $24,500,000 and provides that no more than
$500,000 may be expended by the authority for the administrative costs of the
program.