Requires key boxes at public school buildings with certain exceptions; appropriates $2.5 million for reimbursement of costs related to key box installation.

A1731

ASSEMBLY, No. 1731

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman VERLINA REYNOLDS-JACKSON

District 15 (Hunterdon and Mercer)

Assemblywoman LINDA S. CARTER

District 22 (Somerset and Union)

Co-Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman Murphy

SYNOPSIS

���� Requires key boxes at public school buildings with
certain exceptions; appropriates $2.5 million for reimbursement of costs
related to key box installation.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative
Counsel.

��

An Act
concerning the installation of key boxes at public
school buildings
, supplementing chapter 41 of Title 18A of the New
Jersey Statutes,
and making an appropriation.

����
Be It
Enacted
by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:

���� 1.� a.� (1)� By June 30th of
the 2026-2027 school year, each board of education of a school district and
board of trustees of a charter school or renaissance school project shall
provide for the installation at each school building of at least one exterior
key box that meets or exceeds Underwriters Laboratories Standard 1037, or
another nationally recognized industry standard for antitheft alarms and
devices, at the time of installation.

���� (2)� A board of education or
board of trustees shall, with the approval of the Commissioner of Education
pursuant to subsection c. of this section, be exempt from the requirements of
paragraph (1) of this subsection and subsection b. of this section if the board
has implemented an alternative plan and procedures to provide emergency access
to the school building for emergency responders and to ensure that law
enforcement personnel have the ability to access the building onsite in the
event of an emergency.

���� b.� Each key box required
pursuant to paragraph (1) of subsection a. of this section shall:

���� (1) be installed at an
appropriate location for permitting emergency responders, including law
enforcement, fire, and emergency medical services personnel, emergency access
to the building.� The precise location of the key box shall be determined by
the board of education or board of trustees in collaboration with emergency
responders, including law enforcement and fire� personnel. A board of education
or board of trustees may provide emergency medical services personnel with
access to the key box if the board of education or board of trustees deems it
appropriate.� Wherever possible, emergency responders shall utilize shared key boxes
for a school building in collaboration with the school district, charter
school, or renaissance school project; and

���� (2) contain keys and other
access control devices as are necessary to access each building and room
located on the entire school grounds.

���� c.� The board of education of
a� school district and board of trustees of a charter school or renaissance
school project may apply to the commissioner for an exemption from the
requirements of paragraph (1) of subsection a. of this section and subsection
b. of this section.� The commissioner may approve the application for exemption
if the board of education or board of trustees is able to demonstrate that the
alternative plan and procedures implemented are equivalent to or exceed the
requirements of paragraph (1) of subsection a. of this section and subsection
b. of this section.

���� d.� The costs incurred by the
board of education of a school district and the board of trustees of a charter
school or renaissance school project for the installation of a new key box or
the replacement of an

existing key box necessary for compliance with
section 1 of this act shall be borne by the State.� A school district, charter
school, or renaissance school project that purchases and installs a key box
necessary for compliance with the provisions of paragraph (1) of subsection a.
of this section and subsection b. of this section after the effective date of
this act may apply to the commissioner for reimbursement for the costs
incurred.

���� 2.��� There is appropriated
from the General Fund to the Department of Education the sum of $2,500,000 to
effectuate the provisions of this act.

���� 3.� This act shall take effect
immediately.

STATEMENT

���� This bill requires, by June
30th of the 2026-2027 school year, that each board of education of a school
district and each board of trustees of a charter school or renaissance school
project provide for the installation at each school building of at least one
exterior key box that meets or exceeds Underwriters Laboratories Standard 1037,
or another nationally recognized industry standard for antitheft alarms and
devices, at the time of installation.� The key box is required to be installed
at an appropriate location for permitting emergency responders, including law
enforcement and fire personnel, emergency access to the building.� The bill
permits a board of education or board of trustees to allow emergency medical
services personnel access to the key box as deemed appropriate.� Pursuant to
the bill, emergency responders are to utilize shared key boxes for a school
building whenever possible. �A board of education and board of trustees, in
collaboration with emergency responders, is required to determine the precise
location of the key box.�

���� The key box is required to
contain keys and other access control devices as are necessary to access each
building and room located on the entire school grounds.

���� The bill also permits the
board of education of a school district and board of trustees of a charter
school or renaissance school project to be exempt from the bill�s requirement
to install a key box.� The board is required to apply to the Commissioner of
Education for an exemption.� The commissioner may approve the application for
exemption if the board has implemented certain alternative plans and procedures
that meet standards prescribed by the amended bill.

���� The bill includes a $2.5
million appropriation to effectuate the provisions of the bill and specifies
that costs incurred by school districts, charter schools, and renaissance
school projects necessary for compliance with the bill would be borne by the State.�
School districts, charter schools, and renaissance school projects that
purchase and install key boxes after the effective date of the bill would be
able to apply to the Commissioner of Education for reimbursement.