---
type: "Bill"
title: "Expands eligibility requirements of State's child care assistance program to include full-time graduate and post-graduate students."
description: "Expands eligibility requirements of State's child care assistance program to include full-time graduate and post-graduate students."
jurisdiction: "us/states/nj"
legislature: "New Jersey Legislature"
session: "221"
identifier: "A 4544"
citation: "New Jersey A 4544 (221)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["HIGHER ED", "HUMAN SVCS"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Mukherji, Raj", "Pintor Marin, Eliana", "Reynolds-Jackson, Verlina", "Ruiz, M. Teresa", "Schnall, Alexander"]
version_count: 2
action_count: 13
vote_count: 7
first_action: "2024-06-13T04:00:00+00:00"
last_action: "2025-10-01T04:00:00+00:00"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/5fe6b38e-b8fb-46ad-b6e0-436e1314a87a"
source_url: "https://pub.njleg.state.nj.us/leg-databases/"
source_hash: "241a72bacc8c9b889f24e4d55fa83179e336adf1e2124baff2c6abb84ef086aa"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-nj"]
---

# New Jersey A 4544 (221) — Expands eligibility requirements of State's child care assistance program to include full-time graduate and post-graduate students.

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Introduced Version** (committee substitute) — [source](https://pub.njleg.state.nj.us/Bills/2024/A5000/4544_I1.HTM)
2. **Reprint SHH 12/9/24 1R** (committee substitute) — [source](https://pub.njleg.state.nj.us/Bills/2024/A5000/4544_R1.HTM)

## Votes

- CONCUR IN SA — **79–0** (pass) · lower
- Reported favorably out of committee — **11–0** (pass) · lower
- Reported favorably out of committee — **6–0** (pass) · lower
- 3RDG FINAL PASSAGE — **38–0** (pass) · upper
- Reported favorably out of committee — **13–0** (pass) · upper
- Reported out of Senate committee with amendments — **8–0** (pass) · upper
- 3RDG FINAL PASSAGE — **75–0** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Mukherji, Raj — primary (person)
- Pintor Marin, Eliana — primary (person)
- Reynolds-Jackson, Verlina — primary (person)
- Ruiz, M. Teresa — primary (person)
- Schnall, Alexander — primary (person)
- Burgess, Renee C. — cosponsor (person)
- Donlon, Margie — cosponsor (person)
- Drulis, Mitchelle — cosponsor (person)
- Freiman, Roy — cosponsor (person)
- Karabinchak, Robert J. — cosponsor (person)
- Lampitt, Pamela R. — cosponsor (person)
- Lopez, Yvonne — cosponsor (person)
- McKnight, Angela V. — cosponsor (person)
- Moen, William F. — cosponsor (person)
- Peterpaul, Luanne M. — cosponsor (person)
- Ramirez, Jessica — cosponsor (person)
- Rodriguez, Gabriel — cosponsor (person)
- Sampson, William B. — cosponsor (person)
- Singer, Robert W. — cosponsor (person)
- Speight, Shanique — cosponsor (person)
- Swain, Lisa — cosponsor (person)
- Tully, Chris — cosponsor (person)
- Turner, Shirley K. — cosponsor (person)
- Vitale, Joseph F. — cosponsor (person)
- Wimberly, Benjie E. — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2024-06-13T04:00:00+00:00** Introduced in the Assembly, Referred to Assembly Children, Families and Food Security Committee `introduction, referral-committee`
- **2024-09-23T04:00:00+00:00** Reported and Referred to Assembly Appropriations Committee `referral-committee`
- **2024-10-24T04:00:00+00:00** Reported out of Assembly Committee, 2nd Reading `committee-passage`
- **2024-10-28T04:00:00+00:00** Passed Assembly (75-0-0) `passage`
- **2024-12-05T05:00:00+00:00** Received in the Senate, Referred to Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee `referral-committee`
- **2024-12-09T05:00:00+00:00** Reported out of Senate Committee with Amendments, 2nd Reading `committee-passage`
- **2025-03-17T04:00:00+00:00** Referred to Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee `referral-committee`
- **2025-03-17T04:00:00+00:00** Reported out of Senate Committee, 2nd Reading `committee-passage`
- **2025-06-02T04:00:00+00:00** Substituted for S3429 (1R)
- **2025-06-02T04:00:00+00:00** Passed Senate (38-0) `passage`
- **2025-06-12T04:00:00+00:00** Received in the Assembly, 2nd Reading on Concurrence
- **2025-06-30T04:00:00+00:00** Passed Assembly (Passed Both Houses) (79-0-0) `passage`
- **2025-10-01T04:00:00+00:00** Approved P.L.2025, c.148. `executive-signature`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/5fe6b38e-b8fb-46ad-b6e0-436e1314a87a`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official New Jersey legislature records).