Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman AURA K. DUNN
District 25 (Morris and Passaic)
SYNOPSIS
Allows distributions from NJBEST account to Roth IRA as qualified withdrawals and excludes such distributions from gross income tax.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning the NJBEST program, and amending N.J.S.18A:71B-36 and P.L.1997, c.237.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. N.J.S.18A:71B-36 is amended to read as follows:
18A:71B-36. Definitions.
As used in this article:
"Account" means an individual trust account or savings account established in accordance with this article;
"Authority" means the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority;
"Contributor" means the person or organization contributing to and maintaining an account and having the right to withdraw funds from the account before the account is disbursed to or for the benefit of the designated beneficiary;
"Designated beneficiary" means: a. the individual designated at the time the account is opened as the individual whose higher education expenses are expected to be paid from the account; b. the replacement beneficiary if the change in designated beneficiary would not result in a distribution that is included in federal gross income under section 529 of the federal Internal Revenue Code of 1986, [26 U.S.C.s.529] 26 U.S.C. s.529; and c. in the case of an interest in the program purchased by a state or local government or an organization described in paragraph (3) of subsection (c) of section 501 of the federal Internal Revenue Code of 1986, [26 U.S.C.s.501] 26 U.S.C. s.501 and exempt from taxation under subsection (a) of section 501 of the federal Internal Revenue Code of 1986, [26 U.S.C.s.501] 26 U.S.C. s.501, as a part of a scholarship program operated by the government or organization, the individual receiving the interest as a scholarship;
"Higher education institution" means an eligible educational institution as defined in or for purposes of section 529 of the federal Internal Revenue Code of 1986, [26 U.S.C.s.529] 26 U.S.C. s.529. Higher education institution shall include a proprietary institution if expenses for tuition at the institution would be considered qualified higher education expenses under section 529 of the federal Internal Revenue Code of 1986, [26 U.S.C.s.529] 26 U.S.C. s.529, but only for degree granting programs licensed or approved by the Commission on Higher Education or for other proprietary institutions as determined by the authority;
"Investment Manager" means the Division of Investment in the Department of the Treasury or the private entities authorized to do business in this State that may be designated by the authority to invest the funds of the trust pursuant to the terms of this article;
"Member of the family" means a member of the family as defined in or for purposes of section 529 of the federal Internal Revenue Code of 1986, [26 U.S.C.s.529] 26 U.S.C. s.529;
"Nonqualified withdrawal" means a withdrawal from an account other than: a. a qualified withdrawal; b. a withdrawal made as the result of the death or disability of the designated beneficiary of an account; c. a withdrawal made on account of a scholarship (or allowance or payment described in subparagraph (B) or (C) of paragraph (1) of subsection (d) of section 135 of the federal Internal Revenue Code of 1986, [26 U.S.C.s.135] 26 U.S.C. s.135) received by the designated beneficiary, but only to the extent of the amount of that scholarship, allowance or payment; d. a rollover or change in designated beneficiary which would not result in a distribution includible in federal gross income under section 529 of the federal Internal Revenue Code of 1986, [26 U.S.C.s.529] 26 U.S.C. s.529; or e. any other withdrawal if the failure of the program to impose a more than de minimis penalty on the withdrawal would cause the program not to be a qualified State tuition program under section 529 of the federal Internal Revenue Code of 1986, [26 U.S.C.s.529] 26 U.S.C. s.529;
"Program" means the "New Jersey Better Educational Savings Trust (NJBEST) Program" established pursuant to this article;
"Qualified higher education expenses" means expenses described in paragraph (3) of subsection (e) of section 529 of the federal Internal Revenue Code of 1986, [26 U.S.C.s.529] 26 U.S.C. s.529 incurred in connection with the enrollment of a designated beneficiary at a higher education institution;
"Qualified withdrawal" means a withdrawal from an account to pay the qualified higher education expenses of the designated beneficiary of the account or a special rollover of funds from an account to a Roth IRA, as described in subparagraph (E) of paragraph(3) of subsection (c) of section 529 of the federal Internal Revenue Code of 1986, 26 U.S.C. s.529; but a withdrawal shall not be considered a qualified withdrawal if the failure of the program to impose a more than de minimis penalty on the withdrawal would cause the program not to qualify as a qualified State tuition program under section 529 of the federal Internal Revenue Code of 1986, [U.S.C.s.529] 26 U.S.C. s.529;
"Trust" means the "New Jersey Better Educational Savings Trust" established pursuant to N.J.S.18A:71B-37.
(cf: N.J.S.18A:71B-36)
2. Section 13 of P.L.1997, c.237 (C.54A:6-25) is amended to read as follows:
13. a. Gross income shall not include earnings on a Coverdell education savings account, a qualified tuition program account, or a qualified ABLE account until the earnings are distributed from the account, at which time the amount of the distribution attributable to earnings on the account and the amount of the distribution attributable to contributions allowed as a deduction pursuant to section 3 of P.L.2021, c.128 (C.54A:3-12) shall be includible in the gross income of the distributee except as provided in this section.
b. Gross income shall not include qualified distributions as defined in paragraph (3) of subsection c. of this section.
c. For purposes of this section:
(1) "Coverdell education savings account" means a Coverdell education savings account as defined pursuant to paragraph (1) of subsection (b) of section 530 of the federal Internal Revenue Code of 1986, 26 U.S.C. s.530.
(2) "Qualified tuition program account" means an account established pursuant to the "New Jersey Better Educational Savings Trust (NJBEST) Program," (N.J.S.18A:71B-35 et seq.) or an account established pursuant to any qualified tuition program, as defined pursuant to subsection (b) of section 529 of the federal Internal Revenue Code of 1986, 26 U.S.C. s.529 or a tuition credit or certificate purchased pursuant to any such program.
(3) "Qualified distribution" means any of the following:
(a) a distribution from a qualified tuition program account that is used for qualified higher education expenses as defined pursuant to paragraph (3) of subsection (e) of section 529 or a distribution from a qualified ABLE account that is used for qualified disability expenses as defined pursuant to paragraph (5) of subsection (e) of section 529A of the federal Internal Revenue Code of 1986, 26 U.S.C. s.529 or 529A;