New Jersey A 2074: Modernizes the distribution of gross income tax refunds by making direct deposit the default distribution method.

Bill Text

A2074 

ASSEMBLY, No. 2074 

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

� 

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman LINDA S. CARTER

District 22 (Somerset and Union)

Assemblywoman VERLINA REYNOLDS-JACKSON

District 15 (Hunterdon and Mercer)

SYNOPSIS

���� Establishes School Connectivity Grant Program to 
expand access to online instruction for economically disadvantaged students; 
makes appropriation.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT 

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

�� 

An Act establishing the School Connectivity Grant Program, 
supplementing chapter 6 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes, and making an 
appropriation.

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

���� 1.��� a.� There is established 
in the Department of Education the �School Connectivity Grant Program� to 
provide funds to school districts, charter schools, and renaissance schools to 
expand access to online instruction for economically disadvantaged students.� 
The grant program shall award grants to school districts, charter schools, and 
renaissance schools to defray the costs, either in whole or in part, associated 
with purchasing a qualifying reserve of online instruction equipment, as set 
forth in subsection c. of this section. 

���� b.��� A school district, 
charter school, or renaissance school may apply to the department for a grant.� 
The grants shall be awarded in amounts determined by the Commissioner of 
Education.� When awarding grants, the commissioner shall give preference to 
applicants with the largest number of students who lack access to online 
instruction.

���� c.���� To qualify for a grant, 
a school district, charter school, or renaissance school shall agree to 
purchase and maintain a reserve of one piece of online instruction equipment 
for every 12 students who were enrolled in the school district, charter school, 
or renaissance school during the previous school year.� For the purposes of 
this section, one piece of online instruction equipment shall include: 

���� (1)�� one connected device; 
and 

���� (2)�� one Wi-Fi hotspot, or 
the provision of mobile broadband Internet access service.

���� d.��� Notwithstanding any 
provision of P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), or any other law to the 
contrary, the commissioner may adopt, immediately upon filing with the Office 
of Administrative Law and no later than the 90th day after the effective date 
of this act, such rules and regulations as the commissioner deems necessary to 
implement the provisions of this act, which regulations shall be effective for 
a period not to exceed 12 months.� The regulations shall, at a minimum, set 
forth the requirements for application submissions, the criteria for 
application selections, and the eligible uses of grant funds.� The regulations 
shall thereafter be amended, adopted, or readopted by the commissioner in 
accordance with the provisions of P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.).

���� e.���� As used in this 
section:

���� �Connected device� means a 
laptop computer, tablet computer, or similar device that is capable of 
connecting to broadband Internet access service, either by receiving such 
service directly or through the use of Wi-Fi.

���� �Mobile broadband Internet 
access service� means a mass-market retail service by wire or radio that 
provides the capability to transmit data to and receive data from all or 
substantially all Internet endpoints, including any capabilities that are 
incidental to and enable the operation of the communications service, but 
excluding dial-up Internet access service.

���� �Online instruction equipment� 
means the equipment necessary for one student to participate in online 
instruction services at locations other than a school, and includes a connected 
device, Wi-Fi hotspot, and mobile broadband Internet access service.

���� �Wi-Fi hotspot� means a device 
that is capable of receiving mobile broadband Internet access service and 
sharing such service with another device through the use of Wi-Fi.

���� 2.��� There is appropriated 
$2,000,000 from the General Fund to the Department of Education for the �School 
Connectivity Grant Program.�

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

STATEMENT

���� This bill establishes the 
�School Connectivity Grant Program� within the Department of Education to 
provide funds to certain public schools to expand access to online instruction for 
economically disadvantaged students.� 

���� Under the grant program, the 
department would award grants to school districts, charter schools, and 
renaissance schools to defray the costs of purchasing a qualifying stockpile of 
online instruction equipment.� Specifically, any grant recipient would be 
required to purchase and maintain a reserve of one piece of online instruction 
equipment for every 12 students who were enrolled in the school district, 
charter school, or ren