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Panel advances bill letting school boards lease to federally qualified health centers, drawing heated parental-rights debate
Summary
A-4381 (and companion S-3156) would add federally qualified health centers to entities that school boards may lease space to without advertisement; proponents said it would expand access for underserved families, while opponents warned it could erode parental oversight and raise consent and safety concerns.
The Assembly Education Committee advanced A-4381 (and identical S-3156), a bill that would add federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) to the list of entities a local board of education may lease certain school property to for a nominal fee and without advertisement for bids. Committee amendments clarify that any FQHC occupying space with a public school must be located in a portion of the building separate and distinct from areas where students may be present and that leases may be by private agreement as permitted by federal law.
Jonathan Pushman of the New Jersey School Boards Association testified in support, saying districts sometimes have unused space and want authority to partner with FQHCs to provide health services to students, staff and parents. "There's already a very long laundry list of entities that school districts can lease property out to...This would just sort of build off of, you know, an existing statute that gives districts the ability to do this," Pushman said.
Opponents — including Reverend Gregory Quinlan, Maria Quigley of NJ Stands Up, Barbara Ames (Working Together for New Jersey), Sean Hyland (New Jersey Family Policy Center) and Michael Curry (Wake Up New Jersey) — raised safety and parental-notification concerns. Quoted testimony warned that FQHCs must accept anyone regardless of condition and that one-time blanket consent forms could cede parental oversight. Maria Quigley said the centers can offer a broad range of services "from routine pediatric care all the way to mental health and behavioral services, reproductive counseling and birth control prescription and management," and argued parents could be excluded through consent mechanisms.
Proponents and some members countered that parental consent rules and existing age-of-consent laws would still apply and pointed to access benefits for families who cannot easily travel to centers. Assemblyman Schnall described local examples where FQHCs have increased access for underserved children and welcomed bill amendments that require separate space for FQHCs when jointly occupying school buildings.
After debate the committee voted to amend and release A-4381; the record includes explicit 'No' votes from Assemblywoman Fantasia and Assemblywoman Matsakoudis and a stated 'No' from Assemblyman Azarite, while multiple other members voiced support and the chair announced the bill "moves on."
