Read the full stored bill text
A2271
ASSEMBLY, No. 2271
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
222nd LEGISLATURE
�
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman MARGIE DONLON, M.D.
District 11 (Monmouth)
Assemblywoman SHANIQUE SPEIGHT
District 29 (Essex and Hudson)
SYNOPSIS
���� Permits individual holding a nursing multistate
license to be eligible for school nurse certification.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
���� Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative
Counsel.
��
An Act
concerning school nurse certification and amending
P.L.1999, c.153 and P.L.2017, c.70.
����
Be It
Enacted
by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:
���� 1.��� Section 2 of P.L.1999,
c.153 (C.18A:40-3.3) is amended to read as follows:
���� 2.� a.� A school district
shall only utilize or employ for the provision of nursing services in the
public schools of the district persons holding an educational services
certificate with an endorsement as a school nurse issued by the State Board of
Examiners, except for those non-nursing personnel who are otherwise authorized
by statute or regulation to perform specific health related services.� Special
education students and those with medical needs requiring specialized care
shall have that care rendered by an appropriate provider as appointed by the
State Board of Education.� No person shall be issued such certificate unless
:
the person is licensed as a registered nurse pursuant to the provisions of
P.L.1947, c.262 (C.45:11-23 et seq.)
or P.L.2019, c.172
(C.45:11A-9 et seq.);
and meets all of the requirements prescribed by the
board for a nursing endorsement. A school district may supplement the services
provided by the certified school nurse with non-certified nurses, provided that
the non-certified nurse is assigned to the same school building or school
complex as the certified school nurse.
���� b.��� A medically fragile
student requiring clinical nursing services shall have those services rendered
by a provider of clinical nursing services as defined in this subsection.�
Nothing in this section shall be construed to exclude a licensed health care
service firm that is approved to provide private duty nursing under the
Medicaid Program and is in compliance with State Board of Education
regulations.� The parent or legal guardian of a medically fragile student shall
have the option to choose a provider to render clinical nursing services to the
student, and the State Board of Education shall allow the provider chosen by
the parent or legal guardian to render such services to the student only if the
cost to the school district remains neutral.
���� As used in this subsection:
����
[
"Medically fragile
student" means a school-aged child who suffers from a life-threatening
medical condition, and as a result of such condition, requires more
individualized and continuous care than is available from a school nurse.
]
���� "Clinical nursing
services" means specific health care services, based on a medically
fragile student's individualized education plan and a physician's or advanced
practice nurse's orders, as provided by a registered nurse or licensed
practical nurse with specialized pediatric training who attends to the student.
����
"Medically fragile
student" means a school-aged child who suffers from a life-threatening
medical condition, and as a result of such condition, requires more
individualized and continuous care than is available from a school nurse.
���� "Provider of clinical
nursing services" means an agency that renders clinical nursing services
and is approved to provide private duty nursing under the Medicaid program
pursuant to P.L.1968, c.413 (C.30:4D-1 et seq.) or the NJ FamilyCare Program
pursuant to P.L.2005, c.156 (C.30:4J-8 et al.).
(cf:
P.L.2012, c.5, s.2)
���� 2.��� Section 4 of P.L.1999,
c.153 (C.18A:40-3.5) is amended to read as follows:
���� 4.��� The holder of a valid
New Jersey registered nurse license
or a multistate license issued pursuant
to the provisions of P.L.2019, c.172 (C.45:11A-9 et seq.)
may be issued a
county substitute certificate to serve as a substitute for a certified school
nurse in accordance with
[
N.J.A.C.6:11-4.5
]
regulations
promulgated by the State Board of Education
.� Emergency certificates may be
issued in accordance with
[
N.J.A.C.6:11-4.3
]
regulations
promulgated by the State board
.
(cf: P.L.1999, c.153, s.4)
���� 3.��� Section 1 of P.L.2017,
c.70 (C.18A:40-3.7) is amended to read as follows:
���� 1.��� State Board of Education
regulations prescribing the requirements for eligibility for an educational
services certificate with a school nurse endorsement shall, at a minimum,
require that a candidate for the endorsement:
���� a.���� is licensed as a
registered nurse pursuant to the provisions of P.L.1947, c.262 (C.45:11-23 et
seq.)
or P.L.2019, c.172
(C.45:11A-9 et seq.)
;
���� b.��� holds a bachelor's
degree from a regionally-accredited college or university;
���� c.���� completes either a
Department of Education-approved college curriculum for the preparation of
school nurses or a program of studies, with a minimum of 21 semester hour
credits, that includes study in the fundamentals of substance abuse and
dependency and such other subject areas as determined by the State board, and
clinical experience in a school nurse office; and
���� d.��� completes a
college-supervised school nurse practicum experience, a portion of which shall
be completed in a school nurse office and a portion of which shall be completed
in a classroom.� The practicum experience may count toward the minimum 21
semester hour credit requirement.
(cf: P.L.2017, c.70, s.1)
���� 4.��� Section 2 of P.L.2017,
c.70 (C.18A:40-3.8) is amended to read as follows:
���� 2.��� State Board of Education
regulations prescribing the requirements for eligibility for an educational
services certificate with a school nurse/non-instructional endorsement shall,
at a minimum, require that a candidate for the endorsement:
���� a.���� is licensed as a
registered nurse pursuant to the provisions of P.L.1947, c.262 (C.45:11-23 et
seq.)
or P.L.2019, c.172
(C.45:11A-9 et seq.)
;
���� b.��� holds a bachelor's
degree from a regionally-accredited college or university; and
���� c.���� completes either a
Department of Education-approved college curriculum for the preparation of
school nurses or a program of studies, with a minimum of 15 semester hour
credits, that includes study in the fundamentals of substance abuse and
dependency and such other subject areas as determined by the State board, and
clinical experience in a school nurse office.
(cf: P.L.2017, c.70, s.2)
���� 5.��� This act shall take
effect immediately.
STATEMENT
���� This bill permits registered
nurses holding a nursing multistate license to be eligible for an educational
services certificate with a school nurse endorsement, a school
nurse/non-instructional endorsement, and a substitute school
nurse/non-instructional credential.
���� P.L.2019, c.172 (C.45:11A-9 et
seq.) entered the State into the enhanced multistate Nurse Licensure Compact
(eNCL).� The eNLC provides for a mutual recognition model of nurse licensure in
which a nurse needs to obtain one license from the nurse's state of residence
in order to be permitted to practice nursing in any other state that is a party
to the compact, as long as the nurse complies with the state practice laws of
the state in which the patient is located at the time that care is rendered.
���� This bill amends current law to permit a nurse holding a
multistate license through the eNCL to be eligible for
an educational
services certificate with a school nurse endorsement, a school
nurse/non-instructional endorsement, and a substitute school
nurse/non-instructional credential.