New Jersey A 3597: Provides for annual fellowship stipends for Direct Support Professional Career Development Program participants.

Bill Text

A3597 

ASSEMBLY, No. 3597 

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

� 

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Assemblyman LOUIS D. GREENWALD

District 6 (Burlington and Camden)

Assemblywoman SHANIQUE SPEIGHT

District 29 (Essex and Hudson)

SYNOPSIS

���� Provides for annual fellowship stipends for Direct 
Support Professional Career Development Program participants.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT 

���� Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative 
Counsel.

�� 

An Act concerning direct support professionals and amending 
P.L.2021, c.421.

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

���� 1.��� Section 5 of P.L.2021, 
c.421 (C.18A:64A-86) is amended to read as follows:

���� 5.� a.� There is appropriated 
from the General Fund to the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education the 
sum of $1,000,000 for the purposes of fulfilling the provisions of this act.

���� Beginning in Fiscal Year 
2026, there is annually appropriated from the General Fund to the Office of the 
Secretary of Higher Education such amounts as are necessary to fulfill the 
provisions of P.L.2021, c.421 (C.18A:64A-82 et seq.).

���� b.��� The Office of the 
Secretary of Higher Education shall distribute a grant to the New Jersey 
Community College Consortium for Workforce and Economic Development to 
establish the Direct Support Professional Career Development Program at a 
Center for Workforce Innovation, and at the program's additional sites, and 
annually distribute fellowship funding to cover living expenses for 
participating individuals[, 
and establish a fund for] 
and to support existing direct support professionals to cover costs 
associated with furthering their education. No more than 10 percent of the 
funds appropriated pursuant to this section shall be used for administrative 
expenses. The Secretary of Higher Education shall approve any budget pursuant 
to this act.

(cf: P.L.2021, c.421, s.5)

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

STATEMENT

���� This bill provides for annual 
fellowship stipends for Direct Support Professional Career Development Program 
participants.� Direct support professionals provide services and support to 
persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

���� Current law governing the 
Direct Support Professional Career Development Program provided for a one time 
appropriation of $1,000,000 to establish the Direct Support Professional Career 
Development Program as part of the New Jersey Community College Consortium for 
Workforce and Economic Development�s Pathways to Career Opportunities 
Initiative.� The appropriation also covers living expenses for participating 
individuals and establishes a fund for existing direct support professionals to 
cover costs associated with furthering their education.

���� This bill requires an annual 
appropriation from the General Fund to the Office of the Secretary of Higher 
Education in such amounts as are necessary to effectuate the provisions of law 
governing the Direct Support Professional Career Development Program, including 
to provide an annual distribution of fellowship funding to cover living 
expenses for participating individuals and to support existing direct support 
professionals to cover costs associated with furthering their education.