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A242 • 2026

Requires school district to submit emergency communication policies and protocols to Department of Education for review.

Requires school district to submit emergency communication policies and protocols to Department of Education for review.

Education
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Azzariti Jr., John V., M.D.
Last action
2026-01-13
Official status
Introduced, Referred to Assembly Education Committee
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Requires school district to submit emergency communication policies and protocols to Department of Education for review.

Requires school district to submit emergency communication policies and protocols to Department of Education for review.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires school district to submit emergency communication policies and protocols to Department of Education for review.
  • Topic: Education Fiscal note: This bill has not been certified by OLS for a fiscal note.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

  1. 2026-01-13 New Jersey Legislature

    Introduced, Referred to Assembly Education Committee

Official Summary Text

Requires school district to submit emergency communication policies and protocols to Department of Education for review.
Topic:
Education
Fiscal note:
This bill has not been certified by OLS for a fiscal note.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
A242

ASSEMBLY, No. 242

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

���� Requires school district to submit emergency
communication policies and protocols to Department of Education for review.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

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

��

An Act
concerning school security and supplementing chapter 41
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.� Before the first day
of October of the first full school year following the effective date of this
act, each school district shall submit its current emergency communication
policies and protocols to the Department of Education.�

���� The school district shall
review, update, and resubmit its emergency communication policies and protocols
to the department every five years.� If an emergency incident occurs at a
school district during the five-year period, the policies and protocols shall
be reviewed immediately.

���� b.��� The department, in
consultation with the Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness, the State
Office of Emergency Management, and local law enforcement authorities, shall
review the emergency communication policies and protocols submitted by a school
district pursuant to subsection a. of this section to ensure compliance with
all relevant State laws and regulations and shall, when necessary, make
recommendations to the school district for improving the policies and
protocols.

���� c.��� The department may, at
any time, request any additional information regarding a school district�s
emergency communication policies, protocols, equipment, or technology that it
deems necessary.

���� d.��� As used in this section,
�emergency communication policies and protocols� means the procedures
established to enable school administrators and security personnel to
communicate with emergency responders, school staff, students, parents and
guardians, and other school or school district stakeholders in the event of a
school emergency.

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

STATEMENT

���� This bill requires each school
district to submit its current emergency communication policies and protocols
to the Department of Education. The bill defines �emergency communication
policies and protocols� as the procedures established to enable school administrators
and security personnel to communicate with emergency responders, school staff,
students, parents and guardians, and other school or school district
stakeholders in the event of a school emergency.� The bill further directs the
department, in consultation with the Office of Homeland Security and
Preparedness, the State Office of Emergency Management, and local law
enforcement authorities, to review the emergency communication policies and
protocols submitted by a school district to ensure compliance with all relevant
State laws and regulations and, when necessary, make recommendations to the
school district for improving the policies and protocols.

���� Under the bill, the school
district is required to review, update, and resubmit its emergency
communication policies and protocols to the department every five years.� If an
emergency incident occurs at a school district during the five-year period, the
policies and protocols will be reviewed immediately.

���� The bill provides the
department the authority to request any additional information about a school
district�s emergency communication policies, protocols, equipment, or
technology that it deems necessary.