Bill Text: NJ SCR102 | 2012-2013 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Urges Congress to reject elimination of Payments for Federal Property component of Impact Aid Program.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Republican 2-1)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2012-05-03 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Education Committee [SCR102 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2012-SCR102-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Senator STEVEN V. OROHO
District 24 (Morris, Sussex and Warren)
Senator JEFF VAN DREW
District 1 (Atlantic, Cape May and Cumberland)
Co-Sponsored by:
Senator Beck
SYNOPSIS
Urges Congress to reject elimination of Payments for Federal Property component of Impact Aid Program.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
A Concurrent Resolution urging the Congress of the United States to reject the elimination of the Payments for Federal Property component of the Impact Aid Program.
Whereas, The Federal Impact Aid Program, administered by the Department of Education, was established in 1950 and provides financial assistance to school districts affected by federal activities; and
Whereas, Impact Aid was designed to assist local school districts that have lost property tax revenue, which is used in part to fund schools, due to the presence of tax-exempt federal property or that have experienced increased expenditures due to the enrollment of federally connected children; and
Whereas, As part of the Fiscal Year 2013 budget proposal, President Obama has proposed to eliminate the Payments for Federal Property Component of the Impact Aid Program, which provides payments to local school districts that contain military bases, Native American lands or other federal land that is exempt from property taxes in order to compensate for the presence of the tax-exempt federal property; and
Whereas, Many school districts across the United States, including New Jersey, have parcels of land that are owned by the federal government and therefore face special challenges as they must provide quality education to all children in the school district while sometimes operating with less local revenue than other school districts; and
Whereas, School districts rely upon Impact Aid for a wide variety of expenses including, the salaries of teachers and teacher's aides; purchasing textbooks, computers and other equipment; after-school programs and remedial tutoring; advanced placement classes; and special enrichment programs; and
Whereas, New Jersey has 27 school districts which apply for and rely upon all components of Impact Aid funding to educate approximately 97,710 students that are enrolled in these school districts; and
Whereas, Impact Aid helps to ensure military children, children residing on Native American lands and children in school districts that lose local revenue because of federal land ownership receive quality education; and
Whereas, If the Payments for Federal Property component of the Impact Aid Program is eliminated, school districts throughout the country will lose a total of $67 million in funding, thereby taking away the school district's ability to ensure students receive a quality education; now, therefore,
Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of New Jersey (the General Assembly concurring):
1. The Legislature of this State respectfully urges the Congress of the United States to reject the elimination of the Payments for Federal Property component of the Impact Aid Program.
2. Duly authenticated copies of this concurrent resolution shall be transmitted to the presiding officers of the United States Congress and every member of the United States Congress elected from this State.
STATEMENT
This concurrent resolution respectfully urges the Congress of the United States to reject the proposed elimination of the Payments for Federal Property component of the Federal Impact Aid Program. The Federal Impact Aid Program, administered by the Department of Education, provides financial assistance to school districts affected by federal activities.
The Impact Aid Program was designed to assist local school districts that have lost property tax revenue, which is used in part to fund schools, due to the presence of tax-exempt federal property or that have experienced increased expenditures due to the enrollment of federally connected children.
As part of the Fiscal Year 2013 budget proposal, President Obama has proposed to eliminate the Payments for Federal Property Component of the Impact Aid Program, which provides payments to local school districts that contain military bases, Native American lands or other federal land that is exempt from property taxes in order to compensate for the presence of tax-exempt federal property.
New Jersey has 27 school districts which apply for and rely upon all components of Impact Aid funding to educate the 97,710 students that are enrolled in these districts. If the Payments for Federal Property component of the Impact Aid Program is eliminated, school districts throughout the country will lose a total of $67 million in funding, thereby taking away the school district's ability to ensure that students receive a quality education.
