New Jersey S 2320: Requires professionals certifying death to perform any testing and related actions necessary for survivors to claim State and federal benefits.

Bill Text

S2320 

SENATE, No. 2320 

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

� 

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Senator JOHN F. MCKEON

District 27 (Essex and Passaic)

Co-Sponsored by:

Senator McKnight

SYNOPSIS

���� Establishes Jersey Strong Public Service Scholarship 
Program.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT 

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

��

An Act establishing the Jersey Strong Public Service 
Scholarship Program and supplementing chapter 71B of Title 18A of the New 
Jersey Statutes.

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

���� 1.��� This act shall be known 
and may be cited as the �Jersey Strong Public Service Scholarship Program Act.�

���� 2.��� As used in this act:

���� �Authority� means the Higher 
Education Student Assistance Authority established pursuant to N.J.S.18A:71A-3.

���� �Commissioner� means the 
Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development.

���� "Cost of attendance" 
means cost of attendance as defined pursuant to 20 U.S.C. s.1087ll.

���� �Program� means the Jersey 
Strong Public Service Scholarship Program established pursuant to this act.

���� �Scholarship� means a 
scholarship awarded under the Jersey Strong Public Service Scholarship Program 
established pursuant to this act.

���� 3.��� a.� There is established 
in the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority the Jersey Strong Public 
Service Scholarship Program. The authority shall work in conjunction with the 
Department of Labor and Workforce Development to develop the program. The 
program shall provide scholarships to eligible students who are employed in a 
public service sector experiencing critical workforce shortages.

���� b.� Under the program, a 
student who meets the eligibility criteria established pursuant to section 4 of 
this act shall be eligible to receive a scholarship for study at a public 
institution of higher education in the State. The authority shall award a maximum 
of 15 scholarships annually.

���� c.� (1) A student who 
completes one year of full-time employment in a public service sector 
experiencing critical workforce shortages as determined pursuant to subsection 
d. of this section shall be eligible for a scholarship to apply toward the cost 
of attendance for two academic years at a public institution of higher 
education in the State. The maximum scholarship amount shall not exceed $25,000 
over a two-year period.

���� (2)� A student who completes 
two years of full-time employment in a public service sector experiencing 
critical workforce shortages as determined pursuant to subsection d. of this 
section shall be eligible for a scholarship to apply toward the cost of attendance 
for four academic years at a public institution of higher education in the 
State. The maximum scholarship amount shall not exceed $50,000 over a four-year 
period.

���� (3)� A scholarship under the 
program shall be applied toward the cost of attendance.

���� d.� The commissioner shall 
develop, within 90 days of the effective date of this act, a list of eligible 
public service sectors experiencing critical workforce shortages. The list may 
include employment in hospitals or public schools or employment as a crossing 
guard or first responder. The commissioner shall reevaluate the list every four 
years thereafter.

���� e. The authority, in 
consultation with the commissioner, shall match program participants who are 
not currently employed full-time in an eligible public service sector with open 
positions throughout the State. The positions shall, at a minimum, pay an hourly 
rate commensurate with the State minimum wage.

���� 4.��� a. To be eligible to 
participate in the program, an applicant shall meet the following requirements:

���� (1)� be a resident of the 
State;

���� (2)� be a United States 
citizen;

���� (3) have graduated from a 
public or nonpublic high school in the State in the past year or plan to 
graduate from a public or nonpublic high school in the State within six months 
of the date of application;

���� (4) be employed full-time in a 
paid position in an eligible public service sector providing, at a minimum, an 
hourly wage commensurate with the State minimum wage or be placed in an open 
position pursuant to subsection e. of section 3 of this act; and

���� (5) any other minimum 
qualifications as determined by the authority.

���� b.� To be eligible to receive 
a scholarship upon completion of full-time employment pursuant to subsection c. 
of section 3 of this act, a program participant shall:

���� (1) maintain residency in the 
State;

���� (2) apply and be accepted to a 
full-time degree granting program at a public institution of higher education; 
and

���� (3) have applied for all other 
available forms of State and federal financial aid, exclusive of loans.

���� c.� A program participant�s 
scholarship shall continue provided the program participant achieves