Provides incentives for certified nurse aides and nursing students to work as direct support professionals; makes appropriation.

This New Jersey bill (A-2227) creates a state-funded program to incentivize certified nurse aides and nursing students to work as direct support professionals (DSPs), such as in developmental disability care. It requires the Department of Health to distribute funds to employers so they can pay DSPs at standard certified nurse aide rates, and mandates nursing schools to grant academic credit for DSP work toward nursing degrees. The bill appropriates state funds from the General Fund to implement these provisions, directly affecting certified nurse aides, nursing students, healthcare employers, and approved nursing schools. It takes effect immediately upon enactment.