Revises licensure process for out-of-State institutions of higher education.

Section 2(b)(12) was rewritten. Instead of requiring 'evidence that the proposed curriculum aligns with State professional licensure and certification requirements, as appropriate,' the bill now requires 'documentation demonstrating that any academic program intended to prepare students for professional licensure or certification in the State is designed to meet the educational requirements of the applicable State licensing or certification authority.' This narrows the scope to programs actually preparing students for licensure/certification and raises the bar from general alignment to meeting the specific educational requirements set by the licensing body.

Section 3(e) clarifies and extends license duration. The initial licensure period remains capped at three years, but reauthorization is now explicitly permitted for a period not exceeding five years (previously the text only said 'not exceeding three years' without distinguishing initial from renewal terms).

Section 3(c) now requires the New Jersey Presidents' Council to provide its written recommendation within 60 days of receipt of the petition information, replacing the prior language that left the timeframe entirely to the secretary's discretion. This creates a fixed deadline for the advisory review step.

Section 4(c), which provided that proprietary information included in a petition would not be subject to disclosure under the Open Public Records Act, was struck in its entirety. This removes the explicit statutory protection for confidential business or financial data submitted with licensure petitions.