Establishes pilot program in certain counties to provide funding for nonpublic school nursing services through county consortium of nonpublic schools.
Summary
Assembly Bill 5085 establishes a three-year pilot program to fund nursing services for nonpublic school students through a county consortium in an eligible county. The bill is limited to a county of the first class with a population over 950,000, which in practice points to the state’s largest county. Under the pilot, a nonpublic school that opts in would receive nursing services through a county consortium rather than through the usual school-district arrangement.
The bill requires the local board of education to transfer to the county consortium an amount equal to the State aid otherwise provided for nonpublic school nursing services. The consortium would be responsible for delivering the nursing services required under existing law, and participating nonpublic schools must notify the Commissioner of Education, the consortium, and affected school districts by June 1 of the prior school year. The Commissioner must publicize the program, the consortium must provide assurances of its capacity to comply, and the consortium must obtain annual independent audits. After two years, the commissioner must report to the Governor and Legislature on whether the pilot should continue and be expanded statewide.
Impact
The bill does not create a new entitlement to nursing services so much as it changes the delivery mechanism for those services in the pilot county. It supplements Title 18A and alters how existing nonpublic school nursing services aid is routed, shifting funds from school districts to a county consortium for participating schools. It also adds administrative duties for the Department of Education, participating nonpublic schools, and the consortium, including notice, oversight, auditing, and reporting requirements.
Sentiment
Because there are no committee transcripts or recorded votes provided, there is no direct evidence of support or opposition in the available record. Based on the bill text, the measure appears designed as a limited pilot with oversight and a built-in evaluation period, which suggests a cautious, experimental approach rather than an immediate statewide policy change. The structure of the bill indicates an effort to test an alternative service-delivery model before considering broader adoption.
Contention
The main likely point of contention is the shift in control over nonpublic school nursing services funding from school districts to a county consortium, which could raise questions about administration, accountability, and whether the consortium can deliver services as effectively as districts. Another possible issue is the bill’s narrow geographic scope, since it applies only to a single eligible county, which may prompt concerns about fairness, precedent, or whether the pilot is tailored to one region. Oversight and audit requirements appear intended to address these concerns by ensuring transparency and performance review.
Same As
Establishes pilot program in certain counties to provide funding for nonpublic school nursing services through county consortium of nonpublic schools.