Education (School Safety)

in committee · New Jersey · General Assembly Jan 13, 2026

A 3711: Requires school districts to provide instruction on interacting with law enforcement as part of New Jersey Student Learning Standards in Social Studies.

New Jersey's A 3711 requires all public school districts to add age-appropriate lessons on interacting with law enforcement to social studies curriculum starting in 2018-2019. It mandates teaching students about police responsibilities for public safety, individual duties to follow lawful directives, and legal rights during police interactions. The bill specifies two curriculum tiers: basic lessons for K-4 students and more detailed instruction for grades 5-12. An advisory committee - including police unions, civil rights groups, and education organizations - will help develop the materials, with the Commissioner of Education overseeing implementation.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationMandates new curriculum content on law enforcement interactions within required social studies standards, enhancing educational programming for students as part of NJ Student Learning Standards.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Curriculum School Safety

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in committee · New Jersey · General Assembly Jan 13, 2026

A 2742: Amends public school laws on harassment, intimidation, and bullying to apply to certain acts against teachers and staff members; revises definition of "harassment, intimidation, or bullying" in "Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights Act."

This bill (A 2742) amends New Jersey's "Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights Act" to explicitly include teachers and school staff as protected individuals under the definition of "harassment, intimidation, or bullying" in public schools. It revises the law to ensure acts targeting educators - such as verbal, written, physical, or electronic acts that disrupt school operations or cause harm - are covered under existing protections. School districts must update their anti-bullying policies to specifically prohibit bullying of staff, including clear reporting procedures and consequences for violations. The changes apply to incidents occurring on school property, at school events, on buses, or in specified off-campus situations.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill explicitly expands anti-bullying protections to cover teachers/staff, strengthening educator safety and school environment under education policy.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Higher Education School Safety

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in committee · New Jersey · General Assembly Feb 19, 2026

A 4268: Requires Commissioner of Education to develop emergency notification system to alert students and staff of active shooter on school grounds.

This bill requires New Jersey's Commissioner of Education to create a free emergency alert system for all public and private schools. The system must allow schools to notify students, staff, parents/guardians, and teachers via mobile devices (with parental permission for students), work on all device types, and automatically alert local police during active shooter incidents. Schools must customize the system using registered contact details, and the commissioner must provide it at no cost to any school.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill mandates free emergency alert system for school safety, protecting students/staff during active shooter incidents, aligning with educational safety protections95% confidence

Sub-Topics School Safety

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in committee · New Jersey · General Assembly Jan 13, 2026

A 374: Revises requirements for school safety teams; requires creation of district school climate improvement plans.

This bill requires New Jersey public schools to create annual "school climate improvement plans" and establish safety teams to address harassment, intimidation, and bullying. It mandates that school employees report incidents to principals, with superintendents submitting biannual public reports to school boards detailing incidents broken down by protected categories (like race or religion), investigations, and disciplinary actions. Schools will receive public grades based on their climate efforts, posted on school and district websites, and must provide staff training on anti-bullying policies. The law also requires districts to prioritize free prevention programs before seeking grants and document all efforts to foster a positive school environment.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationMandates school climate improvement plans and safety teams to address bullying/harassment, enhancing student safety and school environment per bill requirements.92% confidence

Sub-Topics School Safety

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in committee · New Jersey · General Assembly Jan 13, 2026

A 375: Directs Commissioner of Education to review handling of bullying reports; requires DOE to include additional content in guidance document on bullying; requires communications on bullying be available to parents in additional languages.

This bill requires New Jersey's Commissioner of Education to review how school districts handle bullying reports and update the state's official guidance documents to include new content about bullying prevention and response. It mandates that school communications about bullying incidents must be provided to parents in languages they understand, including translated materials for non-English speakers. The bill affects all public school districts, students, and parents by standardizing reporting procedures (like requiring written reports within two days) and ensuring language accessibility for families. Key mechanisms include adding specific guidance on investigations, parent notification timelines, and requiring the Department of Education to develop multilingual resources for families.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationRequires updated bullying guidance and multilingual parent communications, strengthening student safety and access in K-12 schools.95% confidence

Sub-Topics School Safety

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in committee · New Jersey · General Assembly Jan 13, 2026

A 3033: Establishes "Responsible School Violence Prevention, Preparation, and Protection Pilot Program" in certain counties and cities of first class; makes an appropriation.

This bill establishes a three-year pilot program in specific New Jersey counties (Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Middlesex, Morris, Passaic, and Union) and first-class cities to train school staff, law enforcement, mental health professionals, and students to identify and report behaviors signaling potential school violence. Key provisions include developing a threat assessment tool, creating a training curriculum on recognizing risk indicators, and building a system for immediate threat reporting and response. The program requires the Attorney General to collaborate with health and education officials and submit annual reports evaluating the pilot's effectiveness, with recommendations for potential statewide expansion. Funding for implementation will be provided through a general fund appropriation.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill explicitly makes an appropriation to fund a three-year school safety pilot program, directly allocating state budget resources for essential public safety services.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill funds school violence prevention training and threat assessment tools, enhancing student safety in educational settings.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Appropriations State Budget Curriculum School Safety Testing & Assessment

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in committee · New Jersey · General Assembly Jan 13, 2026

A 829: Requires school districts to implement policy pertaining to use in school setting of medical devices that require utilization of district's internet.

This New Jersey bill requires school districts to create policies for students using internet-connected medical devices (like remote monitoring tools) prescribed by healthcare providers. The policies must be developed within 90 days and cover parental information sharing, strict data privacy protections, and staff training. School districts must also maintain necessary technology infrastructure, with funding available through a new "Medical Device Technology Fund" grant program. Districts must annually report student usage numbers, implementation challenges, and suggestions for improvement to the state education commissioner. The bill directly affects school districts, students with medical devices, and their parents/guardians.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill creates Medical Device Technology Fund for school infrastructure and mandates data privacy policies, directly supporting educational access for students with medical needs.90% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates school policies for medical devices with data privacy, staff training, and new grant funding to support student access to healthcare technology.95% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyRequires strict data privacy protections for medical devices on school networks, mandates staff training, and creates funding for infrastructure - directly advancing data privacy and cybersecurity in technology use.92% confidence

Sub-Topics School Safety Student Health Telehealth Data Privacy

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in committee · New Jersey · Senate Feb 2, 2026

S 3290: Establishes pilot program in DOE to use lockable cell phone pouches in certain public schools; appropriates $500,000.

This bill (S 3290) establishes a one-year pilot program in New Jersey public schools (grades 6-12) to study whether lockable cell phone pouches improve student academic performance and mental health. School districts must apply with details about their schools, student enrollment, and implementation plans, and six districts will be selected (two per regional area) to participate. The program allocates $500,000 from the General Fund to the Department of Education for implementation, training, and a post-pilot report due within 120 days evaluating the program’s effectiveness. The bill directly affects participating school districts and aims to inform future policy decisions, not mandate phone pouch use.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesAppropriates $500,000 from General Fund for school pilot program, directly funding a new educational initiative per budget allocation.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationAllocates $500,000 for a K-12 pilot study on cell phone pouches to improve academic performance and mental health, directly advancing educational outcomes through funding and research.90% confidence

Sub-Topics State Budget School Safety

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in committee · New Jersey · General Assembly Feb 19, 2026

A 4390: Makes $20.2 million supplemental appropriation for increased nonpublic school security aid; modifies budget language to increase per pupil amount.

This bill adds $20.2 million in supplemental funding from the General Fund to New Jersey's Department of Education specifically for nonpublic school security aid. It increases the per-pupil security aid amount from $205 to $338, calculated by multiplying $338 by each district's count of nonpublic school students. The funding directly supports school districts in providing security services, equipment, or technology to ensure safe learning environments for nonpublic school students. This raises total nonpublic security aid funding from $30.55 million to $50.8 million.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesIncreases state funding ($20.2M supplemental appropriation) for nonpublic school security, directly advancing public service funding within budget allocations.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill increases per-pupil security aid from $205 to $338 ($20.2M total) for nonpublic school safety, directly enhancing school security infrastructure and student safety in K-12 education.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Appropriations State Budget School Safety

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in committee · New Jersey · General Assembly Jan 13, 2026

A 1807: Establishes Anti-Bullying Youth Council to assist Anti-Bullying Task Force.

This bill establishes a 25-member Anti-Bullying Youth Council in New Jersey, directly involving students from public and nonpublic middle and high schools. The council consists of 21 student members (appointed by county school superintendents) and 4 nonvoting legislative members who provide advisory support. Key provisions require the council to research bullying issues, make written policy recommendations to the existing Anti-Bullying Task Force, and submit annual reports to the Governor and Legislature. The council expires when the Anti-Bullying Task Force ends, with all recommendations made publicly available online.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationEstablishes youth council to address bullying in schools, enhancing student safety and school environment, a key aspect of K-12 education policy.85% confidence

Sub-Topics School Safety

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