Bill Summary – FastDemocracy

LEGISLATIVE FISCAL ESTIMATE
                                SENATE, No. 2764
                             STATE OF NEW JERSEY
                              220th LEGISLATURE
                                          DATED: FEBRUARY 8, 2023
                                                  SUMMARY
    Synopsis:                   Establishes “VETeach Pilot Program” in DOE to facilitate teacher
                                certification of veterans.
    Type of Impact:             Four-year State expenditure increase; four-year revenue and
                                expenditure increases for Rowan University.
    Agencies Affected:          Department of Education, Rowan University.
                                       Office of Legislative Services Estimate
    Fiscal Impact                                       Four-Year Duration of the Pilot Program
    State Cost Increase                                                Indeterminate
    Rowan University Revenue Increase                                  Indeterminate
    Rowan University Cost Increase                                     Indeterminate
    The Office of Legislative Services (OLS) estimates that this bill would lead to an annual
     increase in State expenditures over the four-year duration of the VETeach Pilot Program. The
     increase in State expenditures, excluding administrative costs, would correspond to a revenue
     gain for Rowan University.
    The OLS finds the costs of the program to be indeterminate and contingent on the size of the
     cohort of students enrolled under the pilot program.
                                            BILL DESCRIPTION
    This bill establishes the “VETeach Pilot Program” in the Department of Education, which
would be a four-year pilot program to facilitate the teacher certification of veterans. Under the bill,
Rowan University would enroll a single cohort of students who are veterans of the United States
Armed Forces and who served on or after September 11, 2001 in a 36-month teacher preparation
program, which will lead to a baccalaureate degree and completion of the requirements necessary
to apply to the State Board of Examiners for a certificate of eligibility with advanced standing.
    Under the bill, Rowan University is responsible for establishing, with the approval of the State
Board of Education, the coherent sequence of courses required to be completed by a student under
      Office of Legislative Services                                    Legislative Budget and Finance Office
           State House Annex                                                    Phone (609) 847-3105
              P.O. Box 068                                                       Fax (609) 777-2442
      Trenton, New Jersey 08625                                                  www.njleg.state.nj.us
                                               FE to S2764
                                                    2
the pilot program in order to be eligible to receive a degree from the institution and receive a
certificate of eligibility with advanced standing.
    Upon conclusion of the pilot program, the Commissioner of Education is required to submit a
report to the Governor and to the Legislature detailing the number of veterans enrolled in the
university under the pilot program, the outcomes of the veterans who completed the pilot program,
and the advisability of the establishment of similar programs on a permanent basis.
                                           FISCAL ANALYSIS
EXECUTIVE BRANCH
   None received.
OFFICE OF LEGISLATIVE SERVICES
    The OLS estimates that this bill would lead to an annual increase in State expenditures over
the four-year duration of the VETeach Pilot Program. The increase in State expenditures,
excluding administrative costs, would correspond to a revenue gain for Rowan University. The
OLS finds the costs of the program to be indeterminate and contingent on the size of the cohort of
students enrolled under the pilot program. As listed on the university’s website, in-State
undergraduate tuition at Rowan University is approximately $15,000 for the 2022-2023 academic
year. The revenue increase would be approximately equivalent to the in-State tuition multiplied by
the number of students enrolled under the pilot program, to the extent that the students enrolled
under the pilot program would not otherwise have been enrolled at Rowan University. Students
enrolled under the pilot program would likely use federal funds to pay tuition under the Post 9/11
Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008, which provides grant aid to eligible individuals
enrolled in approved educational and training programs.
    While Rowan University may experience a certain level of revenue increases, its College of
Education may experience increased expenses to the extent that it would incur costs to develop
and implement the VETeach Pilot Program. Potential cost increases are indeterminate but likely
marginal.
    The bill may lead to an indeterminate, but likely marginal, increase in costs for the Department
of Education associated with the production of the report required by the bill. The magnitude of
the expenditure increase would be dependent on the extent to which existing staff and resources
are sufficient to carry out the provisions of the bill.
  Section:      Education
  Analyst:      Abigail Chambers
                Assistant Fiscal Analyst
  Approved:     Thomas Koenig
                Legislative Budget and Finance Officer
This legislative fiscal estimate has been produced by the Office of Legislative Services due to the
failure of the Executive Branch to respond to our request for a fiscal note.
This fiscal estimate has been prepared pursuant to P.L.1980, c.67 (C.52:13B-6 et seq.).