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S 3891

Authorizes and directs the department of health to conduct a study on drugs prescribed for school age children with ADD and ADHD

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Kevin Parker

Creates and funds a Small Business Interruption Grant Program through the EDA to aid small NJ businesses (<10 employees, under $1.5M revenue) hit by extended closures from public p

REFERRED TO HEALTH
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Bill Summary · S 3891

Summary — S-3891 (Reprint / As reported June 26, 2025)

Note on document inconsistency
- The bill header provided with your request names a Department of Health study on medications for school‑age children with ADD/ADHD. However, the legislative text, fiscal note, and committee statement you supplied all describe a different measure: a Small Business Interruption Grant Program administered by the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (EDA). This summary follows the text and committee materials you provided (EDA small‑business grant program).

Purpose and intent
- Establish a statewide Small Business Interruption Grant Program to provide grants to small businesses that suffer economic loss because of an extended closure caused by prolonged State or other public-entity infrastructure or construction projects.

Key provisions
- Program and administering agency
- Directs the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (EDA) to create and administer the Small Business Interruption Grant Program and to establish a “Small Business Interruption Grant Program Fund” to hold program monies.
- EDA must develop application forms, award grants (subject to available funds), and administer reporting and disbursement procedures.

  • Eligibility

    • Applicant must be a “small business” defined (as amended) as independently owned and operated, employing fewer than 10 individuals, and with gross annual revenue of $1.5 million or less.
    • The business must have suffered economic loss due to an “extended closure,” defined as a closure lasting one month or longer, that resulted from a prolonged infrastructure or construction project undertaken by the State or another public entity. Losses occurring before or after the bill’s effective date may qualify.
    • EDA may set additional eligibility criteria it deems appropriate.

  • Grant amount and basis

    • EDA is required to determine grant awards based on operating expenses incurred by the small business as a result of the extended closure (not on actual or projected revenue loss).

  • Contributions by project sponsor

    • For each qualifying prolonged project, the entity responsible for the infrastructure or construction project must contribute up to 5% of the project’s estimated total cost to the program fund to support affected small businesses.

  • Administration and coordination (as amended)

    • EDA must collaborate with relevant State and local entities to ensure project timeframes specify start dates (to help businesses determine eligibility).
    • Committee amendments removed an explicit rolling‑basis award requirement, removed prior focus on low‑income communities, and deleted a statutory appropriation ($750,000) that appeared in the introduced version.

Fiscal impact and budgetary notes
- Office of Legislative Services (OLS) estimate: annual State expenditures will increase by an indeterminate amount to establish and operate the program; the total depends on demand and future appropriations. The bill, as amended, removed a specific $750,000 appropriation that appeared in the introduced version.
- Potential additional expenditures: if a State, county, or local entity is responsible for a project and must contribute up to 5% of project costs, that could increase those entities’ expenditures.
- Potential revenue: application fees could generate revenue, but amounts are not estimated.

Procedural status and timeline
- Introduced: November 18, 2024.
- Committee activity: Reported from the Senate Budget & Appropriations Committee with amendments on June 26, 2025 (1R). Committee amendments revised definitions, eligibility, funding approach, and removed the proposed $750,000 appropriation.
- Subsequent action: Substituted by A4971 (2R) on June 30, 2025.
- Other actions listed include referrals to committees (records show referral to Health on Jan 30, 2025 and earlier referral to Economic Growth Committee on introduction) — this appears inconsistent with the substance of the bill.

Who is affected
- Primary beneficiaries: small, independently owned New Jersey businesses with fewer than 10 employees and gross revenues of $1.5 million or less that experienced closures of one month or more because of prolonged public infrastructure/construction projects.
- Other affected parties: the EDA (administration duties); public entities responsible for projects (may be required to contribute up to 5% of project costs); State and local budgets (indeterminate fiscal effect depending on appropriations and required contributions).

Changes from the introduced version
- Committee amendments narrowed the definition of “small business” (from fewer than 100 employees in the introduced text to fewer than 10 employees), defined “extended closure” (≥ 1 month), removed the low‑income community focus, removed the $750,000 appropriation, and shifted grant calculation to operating expenses rather than revenue loss. Rules/regulation mandates were also pared back.

Related/companion legislation
- Companion/related: A-4971 (substituted), A-7112, and several prior‑session bills listed in the record.

If you want, I can:
- Produce a side‑by‑side comparison of the introduced vs. committee‑amended versions, or
- Draft a plain‑language explainer for affected small businesses describing how to apply and what documentation EDA is likely to require.

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

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