This bill establishes the Hazardous School Route Grant Program within the New Jersey Department of Education (DOE) to provide funding for projects aimed at improving safety along designated hazardous routes where students walk to school without courtesy busing. The program is funded with an appropriation of $15 million from the General Fund. To qualify for grants, school districts must demonstrate that they have not provided courtesy busing services for a specified period, have adopted a hazardous route policy, and have no other transportation funding allocated for the proposed projects. Each participating district can receive up to $1 million across all projects submitted.

The DOE, in consultation with the New Jersey Department of Transportation, will administer the grant program, determining the amount of each grant and the permitted uses of the funds. School districts must apply for grants in collaboration with their respective municipal governing bodies, providing necessary information about eligibility and project commitments. The department will prioritize applications that include municipal cost-sharing or in-kind contributions but will not require them for approval. Additionally, districts receiving grants must submit project plans, progress reports, and a final report detailing expenditures and safety improvements. The department is also tasked with reporting on the program's outcomes to the Governor and the Legislature, assessing the effectiveness of the funded projects and making recommendations for the program's future.