This bill requires new flooring installations in schools, community centers, and licensed child care centers to be certified mercury-free by the manufacturer. It applies to all facilities using identified mercury-risk flooring materials, including existing buildings where such flooring was installed before current occupancy. Key provisions mandate certification for permits, require air quality testing if mercury is detected, and obligate owners to implement mitigation or remove unsafe flooring within six months if tests exceed safety thresholds. Violations by manufacturers issuing false certifications carry civil penalties of $10,000 for first offenses.
This bill (A 747) establishes employment stability for high school athletic coaches in New Jersey public schools. It requires school districts to provide head coaches (who are tenured or out-of-district employees) with 3-year contracts and assistant coaches (tenured) with 2-year contracts. Coaches can only be dismissed during their contract term for "just cause," must receive written notice within 5 days of dismissal/reduction, and have the right to a hearing within 10 days with legal representation and cross-examination. The bill also mandates a one-year improvement period for tenured coaches with poor evaluations and ensures written board decisions following dismissals.
This bill allows students attending nonpublic schools to join their district's high school sports teams if their nonpublic school doesn't offer that specific sport. It requires these students to provide proof of district residency, meet the same eligibility standards as public school students (including academics, physicals, and fees), and follow team behavior rules. School districts may charge nonpublic students a fee up to the actual per-pupil cost of the sport, but not for students qualifying for financial hardship under state meal programs. Districts are not required to change schedules, provide transportation, or alter team requirements to accommodate these students.
This bill requires New Jersey school psychologists and counselors to complete an 8-hour mental health first aid training course. The training, developed by the Department of Education with the Department of Human Services, must cover identifying mental health issues in students, recognizing risk factors, and using crisis intervention strategies. School staff must complete the training during their first year of employment and at least once every three years thereafter. The course content must include specific topics like depression, anxiety, trauma, and substance use disorders in children and adolescents.
This bill requires New Jersey's Office of Information Technology (OIT) to create a public generative artificial intelligence program that generates text, images, or videos in response to user prompts. OIT must annually test the program for cybersecurity risks and implement safety measures. The bill also mandates OIT to partner with county governments to offer free public education courses on AI, covering how generative AI works, identifying biases, and mitigating inaccuracies - while respecting privacy and legal compliance. It appropriates $1 million for program development and $500,000 in grants to counties for course implementation. The program and courses will directly affect all New Jersey residents seeking to understand AI tools.
This New Jersey bill requires coaches of middle and high school sports, cheerleading, and dance programs, as well as athletic trainers in public schools and public colleges, to complete a state-developed eating disorder awareness training program. The training, created by the Commissioner of Education with health and education input, covers identifying eating disorder symptoms, prevention strategies, available support services, and connecting student-athletes to care. Coaches and trainers must complete the training within six months of appointment or the start of the school year, and every two years thereafter. Additionally, school boards must establish protocols for addressing suspected eating disorders in student-athletes, including notifying parents and connecting students with appropriate resources.
This bill (A 1632) requires New Jersey public school districts to allow home-schooled students residing in the district to join school-sponsored extracurricular activities - like sports, clubs, and theater - under the same rules applied to enrolled students. To participate, home-schooled students must live in the district, meet activity-specific eligibility and tryout standards, and follow new guidelines developed by the Commissioner of Education. The bill also mandates that districts provide access to required physical exams (if offered to enrolled students) and prohibits students from transferring to home education solely for athletic advantage. The Commissioner must create and publish these guidelines to ensure home education meets equivalent standards for participation. The law takes effect in the first full school year after enactment.
This New Jersey bill creates a refundable tax credit of up to $5,000 per year for residents who owe at least $5,000 in student loans from a qualifying institution of higher education. To qualify, taxpayers must have accumulated $20,000 in student debt for education expenses and submit proof of loan payments with their tax return. The credit must be used to repay student loans within two years of receiving it, with priority given to low-income residents and New Jersey graduates. Annual funding is capped at $10 million to cover refunds when the credit reduces tax liability to zero.
This bill provides tuition-free education benefits at New Jersey's public colleges and universities for residents who serve in the Army, Navy, Marine, Air Force, or Coast Guard Reserves. It covers up to 16 credits per semester for undergraduate or graduate studies, provided recipients have completed required initial training, are enrolled full-time in good academic standing, and have applied for all available federal benefits (like Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits). The state reimburses public institutions for tuition costs not covered by federal programs. It also extends benefits to reservists interrupted by deployment, allowing them to resume tuition-free study after honorable discharge.
New Jersey bill A3871 requires public and nonpublic schools with lunch programs to gradually expand free lunch eligibility over five years, ultimately providing free meals to all students regardless of income or federal eligibility. It uses existing federal reimbursement mechanisms like the Community Eligibility Provision to allow schools to serve universal free meals without individual income applications. The bill directly affects all participating schools in the state’s National School Lunch Program, eliminating income verification for students. This policy change shifts school meal funding toward universal provision, building on federal program structures.
