This bill revises the training requirements for governing board members of public institutions of higher education in New Jersey. It mandates that newly appointed members complete a training program within six months of their appointment, a reduction from the previous one-year requirement. Additionally, all members must undergo training every two years thereafter. The Secretary of Higher Education will now determine the subject matter of the training, which will include governance responsibilities, ethical standards, and the financial management role of the governing board. The bill also establishes that the Secretary will arrange for the training, rather than the institutions themselves, and eliminates the requirement for periodic reviews of the training content.

Furthermore, the bill introduces a compliance mechanism whereby members who fail to complete the training will receive a notification and a 30-day grace period to fulfill the requirement. If they do not comply within this period, it will be considered a resignation from the governing board, creating a vacancy, and the member will be disqualified from reappointment for two years. The bill repeals a previous law that required institutions to provide certain training and information to board members, consolidating the responsibility under the Secretary. To support these changes, an annual appropriation of $350,000 from the General Fund to the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education is included to facilitate the implementation of the bill.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 18A:3B-6.3, 18A:3B-62