Requires State Board of Education to establish program to pay high school equivalency exam fees for certain low-income individuals; provides gross income tax and corporation business tax deductions for donations made to support fees.
Summary
Assembly Bill 4986, the “We Believe In You Act,” requires the State Board of Education to create a program that pays the fee for a high school equivalency exam on behalf of eligible low-income individuals. The bill defines a low-income individual as someone living in a household at or below 150 percent of the federal poverty guidelines, and it directs the State Board to set the application process and income-verification requirements.
The bill also establishes a dedicated, nonlapsing “We Believe In You Fund” in the Department of Education to finance these exam payments. The fund may receive appropriations and private donations, and the bill provides both gross income tax and corporation business tax deductions for taxpayers who donate to the fund. In effect, the measure combines direct public administration of exam-fee assistance with a tax-incentivized charitable funding mechanism.
Impact
The bill would supplement New Jersey education law by adding a new State Board of Education program for covering high school equivalency exam fees for qualifying low-income residents. It would also create a new dedicated fund within the Department of Education and amend the State gross income tax and corporation business tax statutes to allow deductions for donations made to that fund. The practical effect is to reduce out-of-pocket costs for adults seeking a State-issued high school diploma and to encourage private contributions to support the program.
Sentiment
The bill’s stated purpose is strongly supportive of educational access and economic mobility, and the sponsor’s statement frames it as a way to help low-income adults obtain a credential that can improve employment, education, and military opportunities. Because there are no recorded committee transcripts or votes provided, there is no documented opposition or formal debate in the available materials. Overall, the available context suggests a positive, assistance-oriented policy approach rather than a contested measure.
Contention
No specific points of contention are documented in the provided record, and there are no committee transcripts or votes to indicate disagreement. Potential issues that could arise from the bill’s structure include the cost of administering the fee-payment program, eligibility verification for households at or below 150 percent of poverty, and the revenue impact of the new tax deductions for donors. However, those concerns are not attributed to any named legislator, committee member, or stakeholder in the materials provided.