This bill mandates the Secretary of Higher Education and public institutions of higher education in New Jersey to create and implement programs aimed at enhancing Hispanic and Latino representation in leadership roles within these institutions. The Secretary, in collaboration with the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, is tasked with establishing a targeted leadership development program to prepare Hispanic and Latino faculty for leadership positions. Additionally, the bill calls for the development of pipelines to guide Hispanic and Latino undergraduate students toward academic careers, as well as programs to assist in the recruitment and retention of Hispanic and Latino faculty and staff in leadership roles.

Furthermore, the bill requires each public institution to adopt policies that ensure diverse representation on search committees for senior administration positions, reflecting the demographics of the student body and the state. Institutions must also implement programs to increase the recruitment and retention of Hispanic and Latino individuals in leadership roles and submit annual diversity reports to the Secretary of Higher Education. These reports will detail the racial and gender composition of leadership positions and evaluate the effectiveness of the implemented diversity programs. The Secretary is responsible for compiling these reports and providing a summative report to the Governor and the Legislature annually.