New Jersey A 1640: Requires DOE to include military-connected student identifier in student-level database; requires district inform teacher when military-connected student enrolls in class taught by teacher.

Bill Text

A1640 

ASSEMBLY, No. 1640 

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

� 

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman MELINDA KANE

District 6 (Burlington and Camden)

SYNOPSIS

���� Requires Higher Education Student Assistance 
Authority to issue vouchers in amount of monthly loan repayment amount for loan 
borrowers who have child enrolled in Grow NJ Kids-rated child care program.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT 

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

�� 

An Act 
concerning student loan repayment vouchers for certain borrowers and 
supplementing chapter 71C of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes.

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

����� 1.�� As 
used in this act:

���� �Approved program� means a 
licensed child care center, a school- or center-based preschool program, a Head 
Start program, or a registered family child care provider which has achieved a 
Grow NJ Kids rating of at least three.

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

���� �Grow NJ Kids� means New 
Jersey�s quality rating improvement system designed to raise the quality of 
child care and early learning programs.

���� �Program� means the Grow NJ 
Kids Student Loan Voucher Program 
established pursuant to section 2 of this act.

���� �Program participant� means a State or federal student aid loan program 
borrower who has a child enrolled in an approved program and who has applied 
and been accepted by the authority for participation in the Grow NJ Kids 
Student Loan Voucher Program. 

����� 2.�� There is established a 
Grow NJ Kids Student Loan Voucher 
Program within the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority.� Under the 
program, the authority shall issue a voucher 
to an eligible borrower in the amount of the principal monthly loan repayment 
amount for an eligible borrower who has a child enrolled in an approved 
program.� The State shall appropriate such amounts as may be necessary to offset 
the loan principal amounts provided through 
the vouchers authorized under the program. 

����� 3.�� To be eligible to 
participate in the program, an applicant shall:

���� a.��� be a resident of the 
State;

���� b.��� provide evidence of his 
child�s enrollment in an approved program;

���� c.��� submit an application to 
participate in the program to the authority in a time and manner as determined 
by the authority;

���� d.��� have an individual annual income of no greater than $75,000 or a 
combined household income of no greater than $150,000; and

���� e.��� satisfy 
any additional criteria the authority may establish.

����� 4.�� a.� A program 
participant shall enter into a contract with the authority.� The contract shall 
specify the amount of the monthly voucher 
to be issued to a program participant. 

���� b.��� A program participant 
who has entered into a contract with the authority may nullify the contract by 
notifying the authority in writing and assuming full responsibility for the 
total monthly loan repayment amount.

���� 5.��� A program participant 
shall immediately notify the authority if:

���� a.��� there is a change in the 
tuition amount charged by the approved program;

���� b.��� the child is no longer 
enrolled in the approved program; or

���� c.��� the child transfers from 
the approved program to another approved program, or to another child care 
program that does not have a Grow NJ Kids rating of at least three.

���� 

����� 6.�� The 
authority shall provide:

���� a.��� each licensed child care 
center, school- or center-based preschool program, Head Start program, or 
registered family child care provider with information on the Grow NJ Kids Student Loan Voucher Program ; and

���� b.��� information 
on the Grow NJ Kids Student Loan Voucher Program to the general public through 
the authority�s website and through other relevant outreach to loan borrowers 
as determined by the authority.

���� 7.��� An approved program 
shall publicize the Grow NJ Kids Student Loan Voucher Program 
within their facility, on their websites, and through any other relevant 
communications to individuals, as deemed appropriate by the approved program.

���� 8.��� The authority shall 
adopt in accordance with the �Administrative Procedure Act,� P.L.1968, c.410 
(C.52:14B-1 et seq.), rules and regulations as may be necessary to implement 
the provisions of this act.

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

STATEMENT

���� This bill establishes a Grow 
NJ Kids Student Loan Voucher Program within the Higher Education Student 
Assistance Authority. Grow NJ Kids is New Jersey�s quality rating improvement 
system designed to raise the quality of child care and early learning programs.� 
Under the bill, the authority will issue vouchers to eligible borrowers in the 
amount of the principal monthly loan repayment amount for an eligib