Bill
A 4613
Requires a cross-agency review to raise income eligibility for school nutrition, public assistance, and higher-ed aid where permitted, expanding access for low-income households.
Note on title mismatch
- The bill file lists the short title as “Modernizes the practice of podiatry,” but the text and committee statement provided concern increasing income eligibility standards for public assistance, school nutrition, and higher education student financial aid programs. This summary reflects the substantive text and committee amendment about income‑eligibility adjustments.
Summary — purpose and intent
- A4613 (introduced 6/20/2024; amended/printed as A4613A/A4613B) directs a programmatic review across multiple State agencies to determine whether, under State and federal law, income eligibility standards for certain public assistance, school nutrition, and higher education student financial assistance programs can be raised — and to raise them where authority and funding permit. The bill is intended to update eligibility thresholds to reflect increases in wages and cost of living so more low‑ and moderate‑income New Jersey residents can qualify for benefits.
Key provisions and required actions
- Agencies and officials required to review programs:
- Commissioner of Agriculture — review school nutrition programs (at minimum: National School Lunch Program, federal School Breakfast Program, summer meals, and other programs under the department).
- Executive Director, Higher Education Student Assistance Authority (HESAA) — review higher education student financial assistance programs (at minimum: Tuition Aid Grants, Community College Opportunity Grant).
- Commissioner of Human Services — review public assistance programs (examples cited in committee statement: Medicaid and NJ FamilyCare).
- Executive Director, New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency (NJHMFA); President, Board of Public Utilities (BPU); Commissioner of Community Affairs — also participate in reviews for programs under their purview (e.g., State Rental Assistance Program, payment assistance for gas and electric).
- Review requirements:
- Determine whether the State (or the entity) has statutory/regulatory authority under State and federal law to increase income eligibility standards for each program.
- For programs funded in whole or part by federal block grants, determine whether federal resources are sufficient to support newly eligible participants after any increase.
- If authority and funding permit:
- Committee amendment (May 8, 2025): the department/authority/NJHMFA/BPU will increase a program’s income eligibility standards by 50% of any increase in federal funding for that program.
- Earlier introduced version (A4613) specified a different formula: increase eligibility by the total percentage increase in the State hourly minimum wage from Jan 1, 2019, to the bill’s effective date, plus a cost‑of‑living adjustment equal to the Social Security COLA for the calendar year the act becomes effective. (Note: committee amendment changed the approach.)
- Agencies must apply for any necessary federal waivers to implement changes and to secure federal financial participation.
- Appropriation: the bill appropriates “such sums as are necessary” from the General Fund to HESAA, NJHMFA, BPU, and the Departments of Agriculture, Community Affairs, and Human Services to implement the bill.
Programs likely affected
- School nutrition: National School Lunch, School Breakfast, summer meals, other state‑administered nutrition programs.
- Higher education aid: Tuition Aid Grants, Community College Opportunity Grant, other student financial aid programs administered by HESAA.
- Public assistance: Medicaid/NJ FamilyCare and other human services programs under the Commissioner of Human Services.
- Housing and utilities: State Rental Assistance Program, utility payment assistance administered by BPU or NJHMFA (as applicable).
Procedural status and timeline
- Introduced in Assembly: 2024‑06‑20; referred to Assembly Aging and Human Services Committee.
- Committee report (favorable, with amendment): Assembly Aging & Human Services Committee, dated May 8, 2025.
- Multiple subsequent referrals and reports in May–June 2025; printed as A4613A and A4613B.
- Reported 2025‑06‑17 and placed on Rules/Third Reading calendar (Cal. 889).
- 2025‑06‑17: A4613 was substituted by companion Senate bill S6693B (indicates further action is proceeding under the Senate substitute).
Potential impacts and considerations
- Eligibility expansion: If implemented, more households and students may qualify for nutrition, housing, health, and education assistance, improving access to food, housing stability, medical coverage, and higher education affordability.
- Fiscal implications: Expanded eligibility could increase program caseloads and costs. For federally funded/block‑grant programs, the bill conditions increases on federal funding sufficiency; for State‑funded components, costs may require additional appropriations (the bill authorizes appropriations to implement).
- Implementation complexity: Agencies must determine legal authority, secure federal waivers where necessary, and coordinate between State and federal funding constraints; different versions of the bill propose different formulas for calculating increases.
Related bills and sponsors
- Companion: S6693 / S6693B (substitute).
- Sponsors include Assemblyman J. Gary Pretlow (primary) and multiple cosponsors (e.g., Judy Griffin, Nily Rozic, Sam Berger).
- Related prior‑session bills listed in the file (e.g., A1880, A2294).
If you want, I can:
- Extract and compare the exact text differences between the introduced version and the committee amendment (A4613A/B).
- Produce a short one‑page briefing for agency staff on implementation steps and timelines.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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