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Bill

A 616

Authorizes a residential parking system in the village of Sleepy Hollow in the county of Westchester

2025 Regular Session Introduced by MaryJane Shimsky

Shifts all NJ school meals programs from the Dept. of Agriculture to the Dept. of Education, centralizing authority, funds, staff, records, and oversight under DOE.

PRINT NUMBER 616A
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WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · A 616

Summary — A.616 / A616A (Introduced Version)

Note on conflicting metadata: The header information included an unrelated New York title about residential parking in Sleepy Hollow. The text of the introduced version supplied here is a New Jersey bill that transfers administration of school meals programs from the Department of Agriculture to the Department of Education. This summary covers the substantive NJ school-meals transfer language contained in the bill text.

Main purpose

To centralize administration and enforcement of all State school meals and related child/adult nutrition programs under the New Jersey Department of Education (DOE) by transferring authority, resources, staff, records, funds, and responsibilities from the Department (and Secretary) of Agriculture (DOA).

Key provisions and changes

  • Definitions: Establishes “school meals program” as including:
    • National School Lunch Program (42 U.S.C. s.1751 et seq.)
    • Federal School Breakfast Program (including after‑the‑bell breakfast programs)
    • Summer Food Service Program and Seamless Summer Option
    • Child and Adult Care Food Program
    • Emergency meals distribution programs and similar State/federal nutrition assistance programs.
  • Transfer of authority: All functions, powers, and duties of DOA/Secretary of Agriculture relating to these programs are transferred to the DOE and Commissioner of Education.
  • Transfer of funds: All appropriations, grants, and other moneys currently available to DOA for administering these programs (including the Nourishing Young Minds Initiative Fund) are transferred to DOE and must be used for the same purposes subject to any legal restrictions.
  • Transfer of property and records: Files, records, equipment, and other property used by DOA for program administration are transferred to DOE.
  • Personnel: Employees of DOA working on school meals may be transferred to DOE if the Commissioner of Education determines they are necessary for proper administration.
  • Interagency agreements: DOA Secretary and DOE Commissioner may enter agreements to effectuate the transfers.
  • Continuity and legal preservation:
    • Existing DOA rules, orders, and regulations remain in force until repealed or superseded by DOE rulemaking.
    • Pending civil or criminal actions and administrative proceedings involving DOA remain unaffected by the transfer.
  • Rulemaking and administration: DOE must adopt regulations under the Administrative Procedure Act and may issue guidance/orders necessary to implement the transferred responsibilities.
  • Effective date: The act takes effect on the first day of the third month following enactment; DOA and DOE may take anticipatory administrative steps before that date.

Who is affected

  • Directly: New Jersey DOE and DOA (administrative responsibility shifts), DOA employees assigned to school meal programs (possible transfer), school districts, charter schools, child care centers and program operators, vendors/contractors, and grant recipients.
  • Indirectly: Students, families, and participants in breakfast/lunch, summer, emergency meal, and child/adult care nutrition programs; local school food service staff.

Potential impacts and considerations

  • Administrative consolidation could improve coordination between education and nutrition services, align meal programs more closely with school operations, and change points of contact for federal/state program compliance.
  • Transitional costs, personnel moves, and short-term disruption risks during transfer and DOE rulemaking.
  • Funding continuity is preserved, but program administration, monitoring, and guidance will shift to DOE.
  • Legal continuity preserved for existing DOA actions and regulations until DOE acts.

Legislative status & sponsors

  • Introduced: 2024-01-09 (Assembly)
  • Print Number: 616A (printed 2025-04-10)
  • Referred to committee(s): initially to Assembly Commerce, Economic Development and Agriculture Committee (committee listings in the provided actions also mention Transportation referrals; metadata appears inconsistent)
  • Primary sponsor listed: MaryJane Shimsky
  • Related: A10058 (prior session); S7775 (companion)

If you want, I can produce a short checklist of immediate administrative steps DOE and DOA would need to take to implement the transfer, or map likely impacts to school district operations.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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