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A239
ASSEMBLY, No. 239
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
222nd LEGISLATURE
�
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman JOHN V. AZZARITI JR., M.D.
District 39 (Bergen)
SYNOPSIS
���� Directs Attorney General to provide annual training
to public and nonpublic school students and staff on roles and responsibilities
before, during, and after school emergencies.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
���� Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative
Counsel.
��
An Act
concerning school security training for public and
nonpublic school students and staff and amending P.L.2009, c.178.
����
Be It
Enacted
by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:
���� 1.��� Section 2 of P.L.2009,
c.178 (C.18A:41-7) is amended to read as follows:
���� 2.� a. A local board of
education, chief school administrator of a receiving school, and chief school
administrator of a nonpublic school shall ensure that all full-time employees
in the district, receiving school, or nonpublic school are provided with training
on school safety and security that includes instruction on school security
drills.� The training shall model the training provided by the New Jersey
School Safety Specialist Academy established pursuant to section 1 of P.L.2017,
c.162 (C.18A:17-43.2), use the drill guide and training materials prepared
pursuant to section 3 of P.L.2009, c.178 (C.App.A:9-86), and utilize various
formats such as drills, functional exercises, and tabletop exercises.� The
annual training provided to employees shall be conducted by the district,
receiving school, or nonpublic school in consultation with emergency
responders, including law enforcement, fire, and emergency medical services
personnel, in order to identify weaknesses in school safety and security
policies and procedures and to increase the effectiveness of emergency
responders.
���� b.��� A local board of
education, chief school administrator of a receiving school, and chief school
administrator of a nonpublic school shall ensure that individuals employed in
the school district, receiving school, or nonpublic school in a substitute
capacity are provided with information and training on the district's, receiving
school�s, or nonpublic school's practices and procedures on school safety and
security including instruction on school security drills, evacuation
procedures, and emergency response protocols in the school district, receiving
school,� or nonpublic school and the school building where the individuals are
employed.� In the event that an individual is employed in a substitute capacity
in the district, receiving school, or nonpublic school at the time the school safety
and security training is being provided to full-time employees pursuant to
subsection a. of this section, the district, receiving school,� or nonpublic
school shall include the individual in the training.
���� c.��� A local board of
education, chief school administrator of a receiving school, and chief school
administrator of a nonpublic school shall provide, to the extent permitted by
federal law, to all persons who supervise youth programs that are not sponsored
by the school district, receiving school, or nonpublic school, but operate a
program in a district, receiving school, or nonpublic school building before or
after school hours, on the weekend, or during a period when school is not in
session, information on school district, receiving school, or nonpublic school
practices and procedures in the event of a school safety or security incident
at a school including non-confidential information on evacuation procedures,
emergency response protocols, and emergency contact information.� The
information provided to persons who supervise youth programs pursuant to the
provisions of this subsection shall not include student records.� It shall be
the responsibility of the organization that sponsors the youth program to train
the program's employees and volunteers on the school security and emergency
procedures in effect in the school building in which the youth program is
located.� The organization that sponsors the youth program shall file a
statement of assurance with the school district superintendent,
chief school administrator of the receiving school,
or chief school administrator of the nonpublic school that it has complied with
the training requirements prior to the district, receiving school, or nonpublic
school authorizing the use of the school building.� The statement of assurance
shall be developed by the Commissioner of Education and shall be filed with the
school district, receiving school, or nonpublic school on an annual basis.�
���� d.��� Any information or
training provided pursuant to this section shall address the unique needs of
students with disabilities in the event of a fire drill, school security drill,
or actual emergency situation. An employee subject to the provisions of subsections
a. or b. of this section shall be made aware of any anticipated mobility,
sensory, medical, social, communication, emotional, regulatory, and
decision-making support needs of students in the care of the employee and any
supports, modifications, accommodations, and services to be provided to
students, as enumerated in their individualized education programs,
individualized health care plans, 504 plans, or service plans pursuant to
section 4 of P.L.2023, c.212 (C.18A:46-2.15).
���� e.��� As used in this section,
�receiving school� means an educational services commission, jointure
commission, regional day school, county special services school district, the
Marie H. Katzenbach School for the Deaf, approved private school for students
with disabilities, and public college operated programs for students with
disabilities.
����
f.���� The Office of the
Attorney General, in conjunction with the Department of Education, shall
provide annual training, including current best practices, to all employees and
students of school districts, receiving schools, and nonpublic schools on the
roles and responsibilities of students and staff before, during, and after a
school emergency.� A school emergency shall include lockdowns, bomb threat
evacuations, active shooter incidents, and other identifiable threats.
����
The training required
pursuant to this subsection shall be provided in a face-to-face format on a
regional basis and shall also be available online.� The training shall include
information on: the establishment of an incident command system; multi-hazard
emergency planning for schools; and options-based response protocols that
provide options beyond the standard school lockdown.
����
The Department of Education
shall annually disseminate to school districts, receiving schools, and
nonpublic schools a calendar that details the dates, times, and regional
locations where the training shall be provided and information on the training
that may be accessed online.
(cf: P.L.2023, c.212, s.2)
���� 2.��� This act shall take
effect in the first full school year following the date of enactment.
STATEMENT
���� This bill directs the Office
of the Attorney General, in conjunction with the Department of Education, to
provide annual training, including current best practices, to all full-time
employees and students of school districts, receiving schools, and nonpublic
schools on the roles and responsibilities of students and staff before, during,
and after a school emergency.� A school emergency will include lockdowns, bomb
threat evacuations, active shooter incidents, and other identifiable threats.�
The training must be provided in a face-to-face format on a regional basis and
must also be made available online.
���� The bill directs the
Department of Education to annually disseminate to school districts, receiving
schools, and nonpublic schools a calendar that details the dates, times, and
regional locations where the training will be provided, and information on the
training that may be accessed online.