Bill > S4272

Introduced Session

This bill repeals P.L.1995, c.63 (C.18A:62-22), which requires funds for legislative agents to be assessed on student tuition bills in a certain manner. It is the sponsor's belief that this law restricts the rights of students who participate in certain student organizations at public institutions of higher education from engaging in State legislative activity, effectively silencing these students. Under P.L.1995, c.63, the governing body of a public institution of higher education is prohibited from allowing funds for legislative agents or organizations which attempt to influence legislation to be assessed on student tuition bills. However, optional fees may be assessed for nonpartisan organizations that employ legislative agents or attempt to influence legislation provided that the fee has been authorized by a majority vote in a student referendum. An optional fee is an amount payable on a student tuition bill, appearing as a separately assessed item, but not a mandatory charge or a waivable fee. Optional fees that appear on student tuition bills are currently required to be accompanied by a statement as to the nature of the item along with an explanation that the item is not a charge required to be paid by the student, the student may add the charge to the total amount due, and that the item has appeared on the bill at the request of the student body and does not necessarily reflect the endorsement of the governing body of the public institution of higher education.

Committee Categories

Raj Mukherji (D)*,  Andrew Zwicker (D)*,  Troy Singleton (D),  Britnee Timberlake (D),  Shirley Turner (D), 

Senate Higher Education Hearing (13:00:00 5/22/2025 Committee Room 1, 1st Floor, State House Annex, Trenton, NJ) (on 05/22/2025)

Official Document