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A1807
ASSEMBLY, No. 1807
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
222nd LEGISLATURE
�
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman ANTHONY S. VERRELLI
District 15 (Hunterdon and Mercer)
SYNOPSIS
���� Establishes Anti-Bullying Youth Council to assist
Anti-Bullying Task Force.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
���� Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative
Counsel.
��
An Act
establishing the Anti-Bullying Youth Council.
����
Be It
Enacted
by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:
���� 1.� There is established an Anti-Bullying Youth
Council for the purpose of providing a forum for the youth of this State to
advise the Anti-Bullying Task Force established pursuant to P.L.2019, c.179 on
the unique perspectives, experiences, and needs of youth related to bullying in
the public and nonpublic schools.� The council shall research, analyze,
discuss, and make specific recommendations to the task force on ways to prevent
and respond to bullying in the schools.��
���� The council may express its position publicly on
legislation pending before the New Jersey Legislature that is directly relevant
to the work of the council.�
���� 2.� a.� The council shall consist of 25 members,
including:
���� (1)� four members of the New Jersey Legislature,
who shall serve as nonvoting members, and who shall include one member
appointed by the President of the Senate, one member appointed by the Minority
Leader of the Senate, one member appointed by the Speaker of the General
Assembly, and one member appointed by the Minority Leader of the General
Assembly; and�
���� (2)� 21 public members, of whom one shall be
appointed by each executive county superintendent of schools.� The public
members shall be students enrolled in public and nonpublic middle and high
schools in the State.� Each executive county superintendent shall appoint an
additional student to the council, who shall serve as an alternate member, as
needed.
���� b.� (1)� A public member who is less than 18
years of age shall be required to provide written permission from a parent or
legal guardian to be a member of the council and participate in its
activities.�
���� (2)� Legislative members shall serve on the
council in an advisory capacity and shall be appointed solely for the purpose
of assisting the public members of the council in coordinating its meeting and
activities, and in fulfilling the council�s purpose.����
���� The legislative members shall advise the council
on the legislative process, provide policy briefings, assist with the drafting
of proposed recommendations of the council, and provide such guidance and
information as the council deems appropriate.�
���� c.� All appointments to the council shall be
made within 30 days of the effective date of
P.L.��� , c.���
(C.������� )
(
pending before the Legislature as this bill).
���� d.��� Each public member of the council shall
serve for a term of two years, or until the council expires, whichever occurs
first.� In the event that a public member graduates, or otherwise ceases
enrollment in a school located within the same county from which the student
was originally appointed, the alternate shall assume the position.� A vacancy
shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment.�
���� e.���� The members of the council shall serve
without compensation, but they shall be entitled to reimbursement for all
necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties.�
���� 3.��� a.� The council shall
organize as soon as practicable, but no later than 30 days following the
appointment of its members.� The council shall choose a chairperson from among
its members and shall appoint a secretary who need not be a member of the
council.
���� b.��� The Department of
Education shall provide such stenographic, clerical, and other administrative
assistants, and such professional staff as the council requires to carry out
its work.� The council shall be entitled to call to its assistance and avail
itself of the services of the employees of any State, county, or municipal
department, board, bureau, commission, or agency as it may require and as may
be available for its purposes.
���� 4.��� a.� The council shall
submit, in writing, a series of policy recommendations to the
Anti-Bullying Task Force
established pursuant to P.L.2019, c.179
.
The council may
present the recommendations to the task force at a public hearing of the task
force. The series of policy recommendations shall be made available online to
the public.�
���� b.� The council shall prepare
and submit an annual report containing its findings, activities, and
recommendations, including any recommendations for administrative and
legislative action that it deems appropriate, to the Governor and to the
Legislature, pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1).
���� 5.��� This act shall take
effect immediately and the council shall expire upon the expiration of the
Anti-Bullying Task Force
established pursuant to P.L.2019, c.179.
STATEMENT
���� �This bill establishes an Anti-Bullying Youth
Council for the purpose of providing a forum for the youth of this State to
advise the Anti-Bullying Task Force on the unique perspectives, experiences,
and needs of youth related to bullying in the public and nonpublic schools.�
The council is to research, analyze, discuss, and make specific recommendations
to the task force on ways to prevent and respond to bulling in the schools.��
���� The bill provides that the council will consist
of 25 members, including:
���� (1) four members of the New Jersey Legislature,
who will serve as nonvoting members, and who will include one member appointed
by the President of the Senate, one member appointed by the Minority Leader of
the Senate, one member appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly, and
one member appointed by the Minority Leader of the General Assembly; and
���� (2) 21 public members, of whom one is to be
appointed by each executive county superintendent of schools.� The public
members are to be students enrolled in public and nonpublic middle and high
schools in the State.
���� The bill provides that legislative members will
serve on the council in an advisory capacity and will be appointed solely for
the purpose of assisting the public members of the council in coordinating its
meeting and activities, and in fulfilling the council�s purpose.���� All
appointments to the council are to be made within 30 days of the bill�s
effective date.
���� Under the bill, the council is
required to organize as soon as practicable, but no later than 30 days
following the appointment of its members.�
���� The bill directs the council
to submit, in writing, a series of policy recommendations to the
Anti-Bullying Task Force.�
The council
may present the recommendations to the task force at
a public hearing of the task force.�� The series of policy recommendations are
to made available online to the public.�
���� Finally, the bill requires the
council to prepare and submit an annual report containing its findings,
activities, and recommendations, including any recommendations for
administrative and legislative action that it deems appropriate, to the
Governor and the Legislature.� The council will expire upon the expiration of
the Anti-Bullying Task Force.