The bill proposes the merger of New Jersey City University (NJCU) with Kean University, aimed at enhancing educational opportunities and addressing NJCU's financial instability, which includes a reported structural deficit of $22 million. Effective October 1, 2025, NJCU will cease to exist as a separate entity and will become an additional location of Kean University. The legislation ensures that all functions, powers, and rights of NJCU, including its assets and liabilities, will be transferred to Kean University. It also guarantees that appropriations, grants, and funding designated for NJCU will be allocated to Kean University, while employees of NJCU will transition to Kean University with retained rights and benefits.

The bill amends various sections of existing law to streamline the merger process and enhance governance. It reduces the number of state colleges from six to five and introduces a requirement for at least one voting member of the board of trustees to be a resident of Hudson County. Additionally, it modifies the procurement threshold for contracts, increasing it from $33,000 to $42,600, and establishes a threshold for contracts exceeding $100,000 that must be publicly advertised for bids. The bill also clarifies liability protections for trustees and officers, allows the university to merge with nonprofit corporations or public institutions without Attorney General approval, and ensures that new employees from the merger are recognized as public employees within the Statewide collective negotiations unit.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 18A:64-45, 18A:64-46, 18A:64O-7, 18A:64O-8, 18A:64O-9, 18A:64O-11, 18A:64O-13, 18A:64O-16, 18A:64O-21, 18A:64O-24, 18A:71-30