S 3597 New Jersey Senate · 2026-2027 Regular Session

Requires boards of education to adopt suicide prevention policies and DOE to establish model suicide prevention policy.

This bill requires all New Jersey public school districts (K-12) to adopt suicide prevention policies covering proactive measures, immediate response to suicidal behavior, and support after suicide attempts or deaths. The New Jersey Department of Education must create a model policy to guide school boards, which must consult with mental health professionals and community stakeholders when developing their local policies. The policy must address prevention (identifying risks and resources), intervention (immediate response protocols), and postvention (support after incidents), while recognizing high-risk student groups. School boards must post the policy online and notify students, parents, and guardians of its availability.
Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2026
Committee Review
Floor Vote
Governor
Introduced Feb 19, 2026 Last action Feb 19, 2026
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Feb 19, 2026
Introduced
Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Education Committee
upper
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors

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Party
State
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P
Photo of Tony Bucco
Tony Bucco
RRepublican
NJ
25