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S 3396

Requires SUNY and CUNY institutions to grant course credit to students who serve as election inspectors, poll clerks or election coordinators

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Andrew Gounardes

Allows educational research and services corporations to lead procurements, including public works, for member institutions and certain local entities under existing procurement la

REFERRED TO HIGHER EDUCATION
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Bill Summary · S 3396

Summary — S.3396 (Senate, introduced June 6, 2024; sponsor: Sen. Andrew Gounardes)

Purpose

S.3396 (as amended) clarifies and expands the procurement authorities of “educational research and services corporations” formed by New Jersey higher-education institutions. The bill allows these corporations to act as lead agencies or contracting units for a broader range of purchases — including public works — on behalf of their member institutions and certain other local entities, while preserving applicability of State procurement laws.

Key provisions

  • Amends Section 2 of P.L.2015, c.140 (C.18A:3B-6.1).
  • Expands the procurement scope in subsection b(1) to permit an educational research and services corporation to act as a lead agency or contracting unit for:
    • Any goods or services, and
    • Public works, procured by the entities that comprise the corporation (language explicitly adds “and public works”).
  • Confirms that an educational research and services corporation is deemed a “local unit” under the Uniform Shared Services and Consolidation Act (P.L.2007, c.63) and may act as a lead agency/contracting unit for municipalities, fire districts, counties, local authorities, school districts, county colleges, State colleges, public research universities, nonprofit independent institutions receiving State aid, or combinations thereof.
  • Retains subsection c, which requires corporations formed under P.L.2015, c.140 to be subject to applicable State and local procurement laws (e.g., C.52:25-24.2; P.L.2012, c.25; P.L.2005, c.51). Committee amendments removed language in the introduced version that would have created a bidding exemption for shared-services agreements between the corporation and voting-member institutions.
  • Effective date: immediate upon enactment.

Who is affected

  • Member institutions eligible to form or belong to an educational research and services corporation:
    • Public research universities, State colleges, county colleges, public institutions of higher education primarily located in New Jersey, and nonprofit independent institutions that receive direct State aid.
  • Local entities that may contract through the corporation: municipalities, counties, fire districts, local authorities, school districts, and other participating public higher-education entities.
  • Vendors and contractors bidding on goods, services, or public works when procurement is conducted through such a corporation.
  • Oversight and procurement officials (college/university purchasing offices, municipal procurement officers).

Procedural status / timeline

  • Introduced in the Senate: June 6, 2024 — referred to Senate Higher Education Committee.
  • Committee actions: Referred again to Higher Education (Jan. 27, 2025); Reported out of Senate Higher Education Committee with amendments (1st Reprint) on Nov. 17, 2025. On that date the bill was also referred to the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee.
  • The committee-reported version is identical to Assembly companion A4372 (also amended and reported on Nov. 17, 2025).

Potential impact / considerations

  • Enables centralized or joint procurement (including public works) through an educational research and services corporation, which could produce economies of scale and operational efficiencies for member institutions and other local units.
  • By removing the introduced-version exemption from public bidding for member-institution agreements, the reported bill maintains the applicability of State procurement and transparency requirements, while still expanding the corporation’s authority to lead procurements.
  • Implementation will require coordination between higher-education procurement offices, the corporation’s governance, and local public procurement officials to ensure compliance with applicable procurement and public contract laws.

Related legislation

  • Companion: A4372 (Assembly)
  • Prior-session related bills: S9058, S4496

(Primary sponsor: Sen. Andrew Gounardes)

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

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