June 29, 2017
The following Legislative Activity took place, Monday, June 19, 2017: 

A-493 Russo/Rumana/McKeon/Danielson/Mukherji/Rooney
Prohibits use of smokeless tobacco in public schools.
Reported out of Assembly Comm. with Amendments, 2nd Reading

A-3058 Space/Taliaferro/Dancer/Houghtaling/Andrzejczak/Orho/Ruiz
Establishes Farm to School Coordinating Council.
Substituted for S-2366; Passed Senate (Passed Both Houses) 

A-4175 Caride/McKnight/Holley/Pintor Marin/Wimberly/Ruiz/Turner
Requires Commissioner of Education to develop guidance on identifying English language learners for gifted and talented programs.
Substituted for S-2808 Passed Senate (Passed Both Houses) 

A-5001 Schaer
Amends and supplements various language provisions in Fiscal Year 2017 annual State appropriations act.
Introduced, Referred to Assembly Budget Committee

A-5023 Dancer
Establishes pilot program in DOE to provide assistive technology to elementary and middle school students with dyslexia and related conditions.
Introduced, Referred to Assembly Education Committee

S-293 Vitale/Smith
Prohibits use of smokeless tobacco in public schools.
Reported out of Assembly Comm. with Amendments, 2nd Reading

S-2485 Diegnan, Jr.
Requires completion of a computer science class as part of the high school graduation requirements.
Senate Amendment 

S-3324 Schaer/Jasey/Benson/Cruz-Perez/Singer
Directs school districts to permit students to use sunscreen at school and allows school employees to assist with sunscreen application in certain circumstances.
Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Education Committee

SR-81 Allen/Kean, Jr.
Urges announcement and posting of athletic codes of conduct on signs at youth sporting events.
Resolution Passed Senate;  Filed with Secretary of State

The following Legislative Activity took place, Thursday, June 22, 2017: 

A-1114 Oliver/Jasey/Tucker/Caputo
Requires school districts to provide instruction on interacting with law enforcement as part of New Jersey Student Learning Standards in Social Studies.
Passed by the Assembly; Received in the Senate, Referred to Senate Education Committee

A-1272 Caride/Quijano/Webber
"Student Online Personal Protection Act."
Passed by the Assembly; Received in the Senate, Referred to Senate Education Committee

A-3347/S-2242 Diegnan, Jr./Wolfe/Holley/Jasey/McKnight/Wimberly
Establishes New Jersey School Safety Specialist Academy in Department of Education and requires school districts to designate school safety specialist.
Received in the Assembly, 2nd Reading on Concurrence; Passed Assembly (Passed Both Houses) 

A-4352 Burzichelli/Taliaferro/Sweeney
Provides for elimination of newly formed non-operating school districts; establishes procedures for eliminating deficit that existed prior to merger; authorizes renting of school building for 10 years.
Passed by the Assembly;  Received in the Senate, 2nd Reading - Concur. w/Gov's Recom.

A-4088 Schaer/Jasey/Benson/Cruz-Perez/Singer
Establishes "High School to College Readiness Commission" to examine issues and develop recommendations to enhance student preparation for postsecondary education.
Substituted for S-2567; Received in the Assembly, 2nd Reading on Concurrence

A-4206 Karabinchak/Prieto/Webber/ Holley/Diegnan, Jr./Bucco
Requires candidates for election to school board to file with their nominating petitions specific affirmation that they have not been convicted of crimes that would disqualify them from office.
Substituted for S-2676; Passed Senate (Passed Both Houses) 

A-4906 Lampitt/Holley/Mosquera/Wimberly
Requires public and nonpublic schools to notify students and parents of availability of summer meals programs and locations where meals are served.
Passed by the Assembly; Received in the Senate, Referred to Senate Education Committee

A-4908 Lampitt/Holley/Mosquera
Directs DOE to establish online applications for National School Lunch Program and school breakfast programs.
Passed by the Assembly; Received in the Senate, Referred to Senate Education Committee

A-4983 Caride/Jimenez/McKnight
Provides that public or nonpublic school employee who knowingly damages, disconnects, tampers, or interferes with operation of school emergency warning device is subject to civil penalty.
Passed by the Assembly; Received in the Senate, Referred to Senate Education Committee

S-742 Beach
Requires board of education to enter into agreement with law enforcement authorities regarding access to live video streams of public school buildings.
Substituted for A-1205; Passed Assembly (Passed Both Houses) 

S-1297/A-3751 Vitale
Permits candidates for school board to circulate petitions jointly and be bracketed together on ballot; permits short nonpolitical designation of principles on petitions and ballots.
Assembly Floor Amendment Passed; Substituted by S-1297/1990 (SCS)

S-2459 Rice
Requires health insurance consultants and carriers to provide certain information to certain local units, boards of education, and county colleges; requires local units, boards of education, and county colleges to review information.
Substituted for A-4798;  Passed by the Assembly; Received in the Senate, 2nd Reading on Concurrence

S-2704 Diegnan, Jr./Ruiz
Establishes grant program for school districts and charter schools to develop dual language immersion programs.
Passed by the Senate;  Received in the Assembly, Referred to Assembly Education Committee

S-3067 Ruiz/Vitale
Requires Commissioner of Education to develop guidelines for school districts regarding transgender students.
Received in the Assembly, Referred to Assembly Budget Committee

S-3191 Sweeney/Bateman
Extends voting rights of representatives of sending districts on receiving district board of education.
Substituted for A-3370; Passed Assembly (Passed Both Houses) 

SR-59 Gordon/Turner
Urges school districts and nonpublic schools to adopt policy to address abuse of prescription opioids by students.
Resolution Passed Senate; Filed with Secretary of State

The following Legislative Activity took place, Monday, June 26, 2017: 

A-4652 Vainieri Huttle/Caride
Requires Commissioner of Education to develop guidelines for school districts regarding transgender students.
Transferred to Assembly Budget Committe; Reported out of Assembly Committee, 2nd Reading

A-5054 McKnight
Requires parent or guardian to annually notify school district in writing of intention to home-school child; requires school district to compile and post on district website number of home-schooled children.
Introduced, Referred to Assembly Education Committee

A-4453/S-2881 Downey/Houghtaling
Requires pupils who reside on certain federal property to enroll in resident school district in accordance with schedule determined by executive county superintendent of schools.
Transferred to Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee; Reported from Senate Committee, 2nd Reading

S-447 Allen/Ruiz
Requires Commissioner of Education to include data on chronic absenteeism and disciplinary suspensions on School Report Card and requires public schools to make certain efforts to combat chronic absenteeism.
Passed by the Senate; Received in the Assembly, Referred to Assembly Education Committee

S-2485 Diegnan, Jr./Turner
Requires school districts to offer course in computer science and DOE to adopt changes to NJ Student Learning Standards in computer science.
Senate Amendment 

S-2881 Ruiz
Requires pupils who reside on certain federal property to enroll in resident school district in accordance with schedule determined by executive county superintendent of schools.
Transferred to Senate Budget and Appropriations Committe; Reported from Senate Committee, 2nd Reading

S-2978 Beach/Cruz-Perez
Permits local units and school districts to invest in local government investment pools managed in accordance with applicable Governmental Accounting Standards Board guidelines.
Passed by the Senate

S-3371 Ruiz
Requires public and nonpublic schools to notify students and parents of availability of summer meals programs and locations where meals are served.
Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Education Committee

S-3372 Ruiz
Directs DOE to establish online applications for National School Lunch Program and school breakfast programs.
Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Education Committee

SR-98 Ruiz/Oroho
Urges federal government to increase appropriations for impact aid payments to eligible school districts.
Transferred to Senate Budget and Appropriations Committe; Reported from Senate Committee, 2nd Reading

SR-134 Turner
Urges school administrators, teachers, parents, and students to be better educated about potential health impacts of heavy backpacks and take proactive measures to avoid injury.
Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Education Committee
If you have any questions regarding the legislative information above, please email me at mschulz@njasa.net