S 3788 New Jersey Senate · 2026-2027 Regular Session

Creates Task Force on Higher Education Governance and Funding; appropriates $200,000.

This bill establishes a 13-member Task Force on Higher Education Governance and Funding to study New Jersey's higher education system, including its organizational structure, oversight mechanisms, and financial support. The task force will include representatives from state agencies, universities, colleges, and labor organizations, with appointments made within 60 days of the bill's effective date. The group is required to hold at least one public hearing, examine how current funding affects tuition and student outcomes, and submit data-driven recommendations to the Legislature on how to adequately and equitably fund public higher education institutions. The bill appropriates $200,000 to cover the task force's operational costs and member reimbursement for necessary expenses.
Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Mar 2026
Committee Review
Floor Vote
Governor
Introduced Mar 5, 2026 Last action Mar 16, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduced Reprint · 4 edits
MODERATE
The bill moved from its introduced version to a first reprint after Senate Higher Education Committee action on March 16, 2026. The only substantive policy change is the addition of a New Jersey Education Association representative to the task force membership, increasing the number of Governor-appointed seats by one. All other changes are procedural: additional sponsors were added (Senator Turner and co-sponsors Diegnan and McKnight), the version status was updated to reflect committee report with amendments, and the STATEMENT section was removed from the body text.
SCOPE

A representative of the New Jersey Education Association was added as a member of the task force appointed by the Governor, expanding the membership beyond the original 13 members.

TECHNICAL

The bill gained additional sponsors: Senator Shirley K. Turner (District 15) and co-sponsors Senators Diegnan and McKnight.

Version status changed from 'As introduced' to 'As reported by the Senate Higher Education Committee on March 16, 2026, with amendments.'

The STATEMENT section (a narrative summary of the bill's provisions) was removed from the body text in the reprint version.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
3
Key actions
0
Committee
1
Mar 16, 2026
Committee
Referred to Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee
upper
Mar 5, 2026
Introduced
Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Higher Education Committee
upper
2 primary · 1 co-sponsor

Sponsors