Requires public schools to provide age-appropriate information to students in grades nine through 12 on United States military and veterans.

A215

ASSEMBLY, No. 215

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman DAWN FANTASIA

District 24 (Morris, Sussex and Warren)

Co-Sponsored by:

Assemblymen Inganamort and Scharfenberger

SYNOPSIS

���� Requires public schools to provide age-appropriate
information to students in grades nine through 12 on United States military and
veterans.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

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

��

An Act

concerning information on the United States
military and supplementing chapter 36 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes.

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

���� 1.��� a. A public school that
includes any of the grades nine through 12 shall annually hold an assembly to
provide students with age-appropriate information on the United States
military, including: an overview of the basic structure of the military and its
branches; the contributions of veterans to American society; and information
about the Reserve Officers� Training Corps (ROTC), the United States service
academies, and other forms of military involvement. The assembly shall be:

���� (1) at least 30 minutes in
length; and

���� (2) held in November to
coincide with Veterans Day.

���� b. A public school shall
annually hold a veterans appreciation event in addition to the assembly
required pursuant to subsection a. of this section. The requirement to hold an
event pursuant to this subsection shall be considered fulfilled if a school:

���� (1) hosts an event to publicly
honor one or more veterans;

���� (2) hosts an event featuring a
speech or presentation provided by a veteran; or

���� (3) participates in an
alternative educational initiative honoring members of the United States
military.

���� c.���� A public school shall
consult with a local veterans� association for assistance in the development of
the veterans appreciation event required pursuant to subsection b. of this
section.

���� 2. This act shall take effect
immediately and shall first apply to the first full school year following the
date of enactment.

STATEMENT

���� This bill requires public
schools that include any of the grades nine through 12 to annually hold an
assembly to provide students with age-appropriate information on the United
States military.

���� Under the bill, the
information is to include an overview of the basic structure of the military
and its branches; the contributions of veterans to American society; and
information about the Reserve Officers� Training Corps (ROTC), the United
States service academies, and other forms of military involvement. The assembly
is to be at least 30 minutes in length, and is to be held in November to
coincide with Veterans Day.

���� Additionally, the bill
requires that public schools annually hold a veterans appreciation event in
addition to the assembly required by the provisions of the bill. The event may
include: hosting an event to publicly honor one or more veterans; hosting an
event featuring a speech or presentation provided by a veteran; or
participating in an alternative educational initiative honoring members of the
United States military.

���� Finally, the bill requires
public schools to consult with a local veterans� association for assistance in
the development of the veterans appreciation event required by the bill.