(TRENTON) – As schools prepare to reopen for some mode of in-person instruction, the full Assembly on Monday voted 70-0 to approve legislation to help districts and county colleges acquire COVID-19 related goods and services, such as personal protective equipment and sanitation supplies.
The bill (A-4461) would require that the State enter into contracts and coordinate with certain cooperative purchasing systems to assist public schools and county colleges in the purchase of COVID-19 related goods and services.
The legislation was previously approved by the Senate in January 33-0, and now heads to the Governor’s desk.
The measure’s sponsors, Assemblywomen Pamela Lampitt (D-Burlington, Camden), Mila Jasey (D-Essex, Morris) and Annette Quijano (D-Union) issued the following joint statement:
“This measure takes a very significant step in helping our schools obtain the necessary supplies to ensure the health and safety of all their students and staff. With schools preparing to reopen for in-person instruction in varying forms, districts will need to have a stock of supplies available such as masks, thermometers, and much more. Procuring these supplies through state contracts would assure reliability, quality and affordability and ensure the burden of finding and buying needed items doesn’t fall on districts alone.”