New Jersey S 981: Permits board of education to accept donations for purpose of providing property tax relief.

Bill Text

S981 

SENATE, No. 981 

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

� 

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Senator JON M. BRAMNICK

District 21 (Middlesex, Morris, Somerset and Union)

SYNOPSIS

���� Permits board of education to accept donations for 
purpose of providing property tax relief.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT 

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

�� 

An Act 
concerning school property tax reduction through bequests, legacies, and gifts, 
amending N.J.S.18A:22-8 and N.J.S.18A:22-11, and supplementing chapter 22A of 
Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes.

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

���� 1.��� N.J.S.18A:22-8 is 
amended to read as follows:

���� 18A:22-8.�� The budget shall 
be prepared in such detail and upon such forms as shall be prescribed by the 
commissioner and to it shall be annexed a statement so itemized as to make the 
same readily understandable, in which shall be shown:

���� a.���� In tabular form there 
shall be set forth the following:

���� (1)�� The total expenditure 
for each item for the preceding school year, the amount appropriated for the 
current school year adjusted for transfers as of February 1 of the current 
school year, and the amount estimated to be necessary to be appropriated for 
the ensuing school year, indicated separately for each item as determined by 
the commissioner;

���� (2)�� The amount of the 
surplus account available at the beginning of the preceding school year, at the 
beginning of the current school year, and the amount anticipated to be 
available for the ensuing school year;

���� (3)�� The amount of revenue 
available for budget purposes for the preceding school year, the amount 
available for the current school year as of February 1 of the current school 
year, and the amount anticipated to be available for the ensuing school year in 
the following categories:

���� (a)�� Total to be raised by 
local property taxes

���� (b)�� Total State aid

���� (i)��� Equalization aid

���� (ii)�� Special education 
categorical aid

���� (iii)� Transportation aid

���� (iv)� Preschool education aid

���� (v)�� Security aid

���� (vi) Adjustment aid

���� (vii) Other (detailed at the 
discretion of the commissioner)

���� (c)�� Total federal aid

���� (i)��� Elementary and 
Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.s.2701 et seq.) 

���� (ii)�� Students with 
disabilities

���� (iii)� Impact Aid

���� (iv)� Vocational

���� (v)�� Other (detailed at the 
discretion of the commissioner)

���� (d)�� Other sources, including 
any funding made available pursuant to section 3 of P.L.��� , c.��� (C.������� 
) (pending before the Legislature as this bill) (detailed at the discretion 
of the commissioner).

���� b.��� (Deleted by amendment, 
P.L.1993, c.117).

���� c.���� In the event that the 
total expenditure for any item of appropriation is equal to $0.00 for:� (1) the 
preceding school year, (2) the current school year, and (3) the amount 
estimated to be necessary to be appropriated for the ensuing school year, that 
item shall not be required to be published pursuant to N.J.S.18A:22-11.

���� d.��� The instruction function 
of the budget shall be divided at a minimum into elementary (K-5), middle 
school (6-8), and high school (9-12) cost centers, each of which shall be 
further divided by the core curriculum content areas.� The commissioner shall 
phase in these requirements as soon as practicable.

���� e.���� The budget as adopted 
for the school year pursuant to section 5 of P.L.1996, c.138 (C.18A:7F-5) shall 
be provided for public inspection on the school district's Internet site, if 
one exists, and made available in print in a "user-friendly" format 
using plain language.� The Commissioner of Education shall promulgate a 
"user-friendly," plain language budget summary format for the use of 
school districts for this purpose.

(cf: P.L.2017, c.131, s.22)

���� 2.��� N.J.S.18A:22-11 is 
amended to read as follows:

���� 18A:22-11.� The board of 
education shall cause notice of such public hearing and the statement annexed 
to the budget to be published at least once in at least one newspaper published 
in the district and if no newspaper be published therein, then in at least one 
newspaper circulating in said district not less than four days prior to the 
date fixed for such public hearing.� The board of education shall also 
publish in such notice the amount of funding to be made available pursuant to 
section 3 of P.L.�� , c.�� (������� ) (pending before the Legislature as this 
bill).

(cf: P.L.1995, c.278, s.41)

���� 3.��� (New section)��� The 
board of education of any school district may adopt a resolution for the 
establishment of a school property tax relief trust fund.� A board of education 
that has established a school property tax relief trust fund is authorized and 
empowered to accept bequests, legacies and gifts for deposit into t