This bill revises the training requirements for members of the governing boards of public institutions of higher education in New Jersey. It mandates that newly appointed members complete a training program within six months of their appointment, as opposed to the previous one-year requirement. Additionally, members who were previously exempt from training must also complete it within six months of the bill's effective date and continue to do so within six months of the start of each successive term. The Secretary of Higher Education will now determine the subject matter of the training, which will include governance responsibilities, ethical standards, and the financial management role of the governing board, among other topics. The bill also allows for the training to be made available online.

Furthermore, the bill introduces a notification system for members who fail to comply with training requirements, providing them with a 30-day grace period to fulfill their obligations. If they do not comply within this period, it may result in their resignation from the governing board, leading to a disqualification from reappointment for two years. The bill repeals a previous requirement for institutions to provide certain training and instead places the responsibility on the Secretary of Higher Education. To support these changes, the bill allocates $350,000 annually from the General Fund to the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 18A:3B-6.3, 18A:3B-62