Bill > A5605

Introduced Session

This bill establishes various programs to support the needs of neurodiverse students at county colleges in the State. In general, the term "neurodiversity" refers to the range of differences in individual brain function and behavioral traits, regarded as part of normal variation in the human population. The bill requires the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education, in coordination with the New Jersey Council of County Colleges, to establish a two-year Accessibility Coordinator Pilot Program. The purpose of the pilot program is to distribute funds, throughout the course of the pilot program, to a total of three county colleges across the State to support the hiring of accessibility coordinators. The bill appropriates $900,000 for distribution to county colleges. The coordinators are to promote the academic and career success of neurodiverse students by, at a minimum: providing intentional academic advising; assisting students in navigating and accessing campus and community resources that may be beneficial to the students' academic and career growth; and connecting neurodiverse students to job opportunities and employers. The county colleges are to be selected following a competitive application process to be established by the office. The bill requires the New Jersey Council of County Colleges to offer to county college faculty and staff professional development and training opportunities related to teaching and supporting neurodiverse students enrolled in the county colleges. The bill appropriates $75,000 for distribution to the council to support the costs of providing professional development and training opportunities. The bill requires the Secretary of Higher Education to establish a "County College Inclusive STEM Infrastructure Grant Program." The purpose of the program is to provide grants to county colleges for the cost, or a portion of the cost, of capital construction projects that extend or improve an instructional, laboratory, communication, or research facility to better accommodate the needs of neurodiverse students. Projects that receive funding pursuant to the program are required to extend or improve facilities that are utilized for instruction or research in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) or artificial intelligence. The bill appropriates $500,000 for this grant program. Pursuant to the bill, county colleges and four-year institutions of higher education are encouraged to collaborate on efforts to: bolster professional development and training supports to faculty and staff who work with neurodiverse students; better align courses to support the unique needs of students who may be transferring from a county college to a four-year institution of higher education; and develop partnerships between neurodiverse student programs offered at the county colleges and four-year institutions of higher education, to better support these students.

Committee Categories

Carmen Morales (D)*,  Chris Tully (D)*, 

Introduced, Referred to Assembly Higher Education Committee (on 05/05/2025)

Official Document