The Governor signed the following of new education-related measures signed into law on January 19, 2022:
2020:S-969wGR/ACS for 2020:A-2687 (Ruiz, Turner/Mazzeo, Lampitt, Moen) – Establishes loan redemption program for certain teachers to redeem loan amounts received under New Jersey College Loans to Assist State Students Loan Program through employment in certain schools; makes annual appropriation of $1 million
2020:S-994/2020:A-6248 (Sweeney, Singleton/Lopez) –Requires State agencies and political subdivisions to make good faith effort to purchase five percent of goods and services from Central Nonprofit Agency
2020:S-1020/AS for ACS for 2020:A-1184 and 2020:A-4414 (Ruiz, Gopal/Zwicker, Conaway, Verrelli, Caputo) – Requires School Report Card to include demographic breakdown of students who receive disciplinary actions; requires Commissioner of Education to establish Statewide database concerning certain disciplinary actions
2020:S-2160wGR/2020:A-5701 (Sweeney, Oroho, Singer/Carter, Lampitt, Jasey) – Creates special education unit within the Office of Administrative Law; requires annual report
2020:S-2830/2020:A-5291 (Ruiz, Singleton/Quijano) – Requires educator preparation program to report passing rates of students who complete certain tests and to disseminate information on test fee waiver programs, and permits collection of student fee for certain testing costs
2020:S-2835/2020:A-5292 (Ruiz, Cunningham/Quijano, Lampitt, Jasey) – Requires compilation of data and issuance of annual reports on New Jersey teacher workforce
2020:S-3488wGR/2020:A-5537 (Sweeney, Gopal, O'Scanlon/Burzichelli, Dancer, Spearman) – Modifies certain procedures pertaining to school district regionalization; establishes grant program for cost reimbursement of conducting regionalization feasibility studies; and provides financial incentives for regionalization
2020:S-3685/2020:A-5576 (Ruiz, Codey/Jasey, Lampitt, Mukherji) – Permits teacher and professional staff member who provides special services retired from TPAF to return to employment for up to two years without reenrollment in TPAF if employment commences during 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 school years
2020:S-3764/2020:A-3369 (Gopal, Weinberg/Johnson, Stanley, Karabinchak) – Establishes Commission on Asian American Heritage in DOE
2020:S-3810/ACS for 2020:A-5862 (Sweeney, Addiego, Greenstein/Benson, Quijano) – "Responsible Collective Negotiations Act"
2020:S-4021/2020:A-6100 (Gopal, Ruiz/Mukherji, Jasey, Timberlake, Stanley) – Requires school districts to provide instruction on history and contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders as part of implementation of New Jersey Student Learning Standards in Social Studies
2020:S-4074wGR/2020:A-6000 (Ruiz, Beach/Verrelli, Lampitt, Carter) – Allows alternative evaluation in place of basic skills testing requirements for certain teacher certification
2020:A-3392/2020:S-1219 (Reynolds-Jackson, Timberlake, Jasey/Turner, Beach) –Requires student representative be appointed to each board of education of school district and board of trustees of charter school that includes grades nine through 12
2020:A-4434wGR/2020:S-2716 (Greenwald, Lampitt, Mukherji/Beach, Ruiz) –Establishes Student Wellness Grant Program in DOE
2020:A-4856/2020:S-3094 (Lampitt, Benson, Caputo/Ruiz, Beach) – Requires Internet websites and web services of school districts, charter schools, renaissance schools, and the Marie H. Katzenbach School for the Deaf to be accessible to persons with disabilities
2020:A-5694/2020:S-3783 (Houghtaling, Downey, Dancer/Gopal, Madden) – Permits dependents of military member to enroll in school district in advance of military member's relocation to district
2020:A-5814/2020:S-3851 (Swain, Tully, Benson/Lagana, Diegnan) – Creates Office of School Bus Safety in Department of Education; appropriates $200,000
2020:A-6207/2020:S-4222 (Greenwald, Lampitt, Benson/Sweeney) – Eliminates requirement for DOE to set certain tuition rates for approved private schools for students with disabilities in certain cases.
This Alert provides information about the current developments in New Jersey education law. It is necessarily general and not intended as legal advice or a substitute for legal advice. Questions about individual issues should be addressed to Anthony P. Sciarrillo of Sciarrillo Cornell at edlawgroup@sciarrillolaw.com