NJEA has taken a position on a number of current legislative issues that impact public education, public school students, and school employees.
To look up the text of a bill, please go to the New Jersey legislature’s website, https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/, and use the bill search on the right-hand side.
A 4783: Grants reciprocity to teachers with certain out-of-state certificates
A 4783 Grants reciprocity to teachers with certain out-of-state certificates A4783 (Quijano, Lampitt, Jasey) NJEA supports granting Continue reading
A 1184 A 4414: Requires public schools and charter schools to report student disciplinary actions to Commissioner of Education; requires DOE to establish database and complete annual report concerning student disciplinary actions
A 4975: Postpones New Jersey Quality Single Accountability Continuum (NJQSAC) review for certain school districts to accommodate disruption due to COVID-19 pandemic
A 4545: Requires school districts to include instruction on certain events involving racial discrimination and social justice as part of implementation of New Jersey Student Learning Standards in Social Studies for middle school students
A 4454: Requires school districts to provide instruction on diversity and inclusion as part of New Jersey Student Learning Standards in Comprehensive Health and Physical Education
A 1184 A 4414: A 1184 – Requires school districts and charter schools to report discipline data on their websites and to Commissioner of Education A 4414 – Requires public schools to report all student disciplinary actions; requires DOE to establish database and compile annual report concerning disparities in student disciplinary actions
A 3392: Requires student representative be appointed to each board of education of school district that includes high school
A 4603: Extends deadline for completion and filing of annual audit of school district 2019-2020 school year
A 3601 S 1028: Allocates Amistad Commission in but not of DOE; requires commission to elect chairperson and appoint executive director; requires public schools to include instruction on accomplishments and contributions of African Americans to American society
AR 92: Urges Congress to pass “Community Broadband Act.”
AR 139: Condemns hate and bias crime
S 321: Requires certain residential developers to replace lead service lines
A 4410: Establishes Community College Opportunity Grant Program in Higher Education Student Assistance Authority to provide last-dollar financial aid grants to county college students and Student Success Incentive funding to county colleges
AJR 172: Establishes task force to study racial bias within criminal justice system
AJR 172: Establishes task force to study racial bias within criminal justice system
A 1070 A 1625: A1070- Requires Secretary of Higher Education to develop guidance for institutions of higher education to identify cultural barriers in recruitment and retention of underrepresented students for science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) programs A1625- Directs DOE to develop outreach program to encourage young women and minorities to pursue post-secondary degrees and careers in STEM
A 850: Establishes “Community Broadband Study Commission”
A 4310:Requires Division of Local Government Services to approve local unit budgets with excess anticipated miscellaneous revenue due to COVID-19 and authorizes school districts to maintain surplus at four percent for 2020-2021 school year
A 4461: Requires State to enter into contract for COVID-19 related goods and services for purchase by school districts
A 2212 S 232: Requires DEP to evaluate environmental and public health stressors of certain facilities on overburdened communities when reviewing certain permit applications
AR 178: Urges Congress to pass legislation to remove Confederate statues in US Capitol building
A 4389 S 2676: Requires certain entities authorized to issue health benefits plans to pay annual assessment
ACR 190: Petitions federal government for emergency response funding to support safe reopening of schools following COVID-19 pandemic
AR 149: Urges President and Congress of United States to continue federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program
A 3548: Requires health benefits coverage for adolescent depression screenings
S 2558 A 4227: Ensures insurance coverage for certain persons attending school graduation exercises in July and August of 2020
AJR 171: Designates July 13th as “Black Lives Matter Day” in New Jersey
S 2273 A 20: Requires SEHBP and eligible employers that do not participate in the SEHBP to provide certain plans for public education employees and certain public education retirees
S 993 A 631 S2303 A4140: Concerns subcontracting agreements entered into by public school districts and county colleges
ACR 171: Petitions federal government for emergency response funding to help schools expand access to online instruction for economically disadvantaged students
A 4006: Postpones New Jersey Quality Single Accountability Continuum (NJQSAC) review for certain school districts to accommodate disruption due to COVID-19 pandemic
A 4175: “New Jersey COVID-19 Emergency Bond Act,” authorizes issuance of State bonds totaling $5 billion and authorizes borrowing from federal government
A 3969: 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
A 4132: Concerns benefits and leave provided to workers
A 3902: Permits extension of certain deadlines applicable to local government units under emergency circumstances
AJR 27: Designates April of each year as “County College Month” in New Jersey
A 681: Expands scope of law prohibiting age discrimination
A 1104; A 1630; A 1631 A 1632: “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; Clarifies that school district is not required to restrict access to school meals if school meal bill is in arrears; Requires school districts take certain actions to increase participation in free or reduced priced meal programs; prohibits shaming students with school meal bills in arrears; prohibits certain district actions in collecting unpaid school meal fees
A 1040: Requires that if a school district satisfies 80% or more of the required NJ Quality Single Accountability Continuum standards in an area of district effectiveness under State intervention, the State must return that area to local control
A 192: Establishes “New Jersey STEM Scholars Grant Pilot Program” in Department of Education
A 1459: Prohibits the sale of certain children’s products containing lead, mercury, or cadmium
S 3770 A 6118: Establishes the New Jersey Economic and Fiscal Policy Review Commission to consider “employee retirement, health care, and other benefits, (AKA, a permanent Pathway to ‘Progress’ Commission)
ACR 215 SCR 163: Urges Congress to Reauthorize “Violence Against Women Act.”
S 2835: Requires compilation of data and issuance of annual reports on New Jersey teacher workforce
S 2835 Requires compilation of data and issuance of annual reports on New Jersey teacher workforce S 2835 (Ruiz) NJEA supports all efforts to Continue reading