NJASA Legislative Update
May 14, 2020
If you have any questions regarding the legislative information below, please email me at  mschulz@njasa.net . 
Legislative Activity for May 4, 2020:

A-1104 Murphy/McKnight/Vainieri Huttle/Ruiz/Beach
"Hunger-Free Students' Bill of Rights Act"; requires certain school meal information be provided to students' parents; establishes protocols for identifying eligible students for meal programs; prohibits stigmatizing student with bill in arrears.
Approved P.L.2020, c.29.

A-3813 Burzichelli/Schepisi/Lampitt/Cardinale/Beach
Permits use of virtual or remote instruction to meet minimum 180-day school year requirement under certain circumstances.
Absolute Veto , Received in the Assembly

A-3842 Greenwald/Taliaferro/Quijano/Ruiz/Kean, Jr.
Establishes Bridging the Digital Divide in Schools Grant Program in DOE to provide and expand access to technology and equipment for students in certain school districts.
Absolute Veto , Received in the Assembly

A-3975 Dunn/Vainieri Huttle
Requires DCF and DOE to provide certain child abuse and neglect services or information remotely or through distance learning mechanisms.
Introduced, Referred to Assembly Women and Children Committee

A-3987 Wirths
Specifies conditions under which State, county, municipality, independent authority, school district, or higher education institution can grant unpaid or paid leave of absence to public employee to perform work for labor organization.
Introduced, Referred to Assembly State and Local Government Committee

A-3988 Wirths/Space
Suspends pension of any retired public employee who resumes public employment with compensation more than $15,000.
Introduced, Referred to Assembly State and Local Government Committee

A-3993 Webber
Allows resident school districts to provide payments in-lieu-of transportation to parents of county vocational school district pupils.
Introduced, Referred to Assembly Education Committee

A-4006 Chiaravalloti
Postpones New Jersey Quality Single Accountability Continuum (NJQSAC) review for certain school districts to accommodate disruption due to COVID-19 pandemic.
Introduced, Referred to Assembly Education Committee

A-4020 Thomson
Provides anti-stigmatization protections to public school student whose school breakfast or school lunch bill is in arrears.
Introduced, Referred to Assembly Education Committee

AR154 DeCroce/Vainieri Huttle/DiMaio
Honors contributions of teachers and recognizes National Teacher Appreciation Week.
Introduced, Referred to Assembly Education Committee 

Legislative Activity for May 7, 2020:

A-4046 Peterson
Requires Commissioner of Education to develop best practices guidelines concerning student preparation for State assessments.
Introduced, Referred to Assembly Education Committee

A-4055 Wirths
Provides certain sending school districts one nonvoting advisory representative on receiving school district board of education.
Introduced, Referred to Assembly Education Committee

A-4057 Wirths
Requires school districts to notify State after receiving offer of assistance from federal government to address environmental issue.
Introduced, Referred to Assembly Education Committee

A-4112 Dancer
Excludes deferred compensation of certain public school and federal tax-exempt organization employees from current taxation under gross income tax.
Introduced, Referred to Assembly Appropriations Committee

A-4115 Dancer
Harmonizes the disqualifying offenses and certain other criminal history record background check requirements applicable to home instructors employed under DOE or DHS authority.
Introduced, Referred to Assembly Human Services Committee

S-2383 Sarlo/Ruiz/Sweeney/Oroho
Requires Commissioner of Education to establish three-year "Bridge Year Pilot Program" for certain students who were impacted by public health state of emergency caused by coronavirus disease 2019.
5/7/2020 Reported from Senate Committee as a Substitute , 2nd Reading

S-2401 Beach
Prohibits public school students and employees from immediately returning to school after leaving country during public health emergencies.
Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Education Committee

S-2404 Pou
Postpones New Jersey Quality Single Accountability Continuum (NJQSAC) review for certain school districts to accommodate disruption due to COVID-19 pandemic.
Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Education Committee

S-2415 Scutari
Establishes School Connectivity Grant Program to expand access to online instruction for economically disadvantaged students; makes appropriation.
Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Education Committee

S-2416 Turner
Establishes Extended School Day and School Year Study Commission.
Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Education Committee

S-2421 Ruiz
Establishes "Purple Ribbon Schools Program" in DOE to recognize public and nonpublic schools with positive school climate.
Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Education Committee

S-2429 Lagana
Directs Commissioner of Education to develop sexual assault prevention training program for high school athletic directors and coaches of interscholastic sports programs.
Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Education Committee

S-2446 Testa, Jr./Oroho
Directs Dept. of Agriculture to purchase agricultural food products from NJ farmers impacted by coronavirus pandemic, and distribute products to school breakfast and lunch programs and food banks; appropriate $1 million.
Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Economic Growth Committee

Legislative Activity for May 11, 2020:

A-3969 Danielson
Allows extension of certain local government timeframes; allows local governments to accept certain payments; allows local governments to conduct certain meetings remotely; adjusts certain property tax distribution and notice requirements.
Reported out of Assembly Comm. with Amendments , 2nd Reading

A-4127 Speight
Allows local governments and school districts to engage in certain borrowing to aid with COVID-19 response.
Reported out of Assembly Committee, 2nd Reading

A-4133 Carter/Reynolds-Jackson/Vainieri Huttle
Establishes School Connectivity Grant Program to expand access to online instruction for economically disadvantaged students; makes appropriation.
Introduced, Referred to Assembly Education Committee

A-4140 Freiman
Concerns subcontracting agreements entered into by public school districts and county colleges.
Introduced, Referred to Assembly Labor Committee

A-4142 Lampitt/Jasey/Vainieri Huttle
Requires Commissioner of Education to establish three-year "Bridge Year Pilot Program" for certain students who were impacted by public health state of emergency caused by coronavirus disease 2019.
Introduced, Referred to Assembly Appropriations Committee; Reported from Assembly Comm. as a Substitute , 2nd Reading

A-4149 McClellan/Simonsen/Wirths
Directs Dept. of Agriculture to purchase agricultural food products from NJ farmers impacted by coronavirus pandemic, and distribute products to school breakfast and lunch programs and food banks; appropriate $1 million.
Introduced, Referred to Assembly Agriculture Committee

S-2380 Sweeney/Scutari/Singer/Greenstein
Concerns employment benefits and coronavirus disease 2019 infections contracted by essential employees.
Transferred to Senate Labor Committee; Reported from Senate Committee as a Substitute , 2nd Reading

S-2392 Sarlo
Allows extension of certain local government timeframes; allows local governments to accept certain payments; allows local governments to conduct certain meetings remotely; adjusts certain property tax distribution and notice requirements.
Reported from Senate Committee with Amendments , 2nd Reading