Establishes requirements for students engaging in certain bias-related conduct.

A4544

ASSEMBLY, No. 4544

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

INTRODUCED MARCH 10, 2026

Sponsored by:

Assemblyman� KENYATTA STEWART

District 35 (Bergen and Passaic)

Assemblywoman� LINDA S. CARTER

District 22 (Somerset and Union)

Assemblywoman� VERLINA REYNOLDS-JACKSON

District 15 (Hunterdon and Mercer)

Co-Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman Haider

SYNOPSIS

���� Establishes requirements for students engaging in
certain bias-related conduct.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� As introduced.

��

An Act
concerning student behavior and supplementing chapter
37 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes.

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

���� 1.��� The Legislature finds
and declares that:

���� a.���� The safety and
emotional well-being of all students requires early, proactive intervention
when discriminatory conduct arises among peers.

���� b.��� Children and adolescents
are still developing socially, emotionally, and cognitively, and harmful biases
can develop if not addressed with guidance, education, and appropriate support.

���� c.���� Schools must be a place
where every student feels safe, respected, and free from discrimination or
hostility.

���� d.��� It is the intent of the
Legislature to reinforce the State�s compelling interest in preventing
bias-based and racial discrimination, responding to racially hostile
environments, providing anti-discrimination training and education, maintaining
a safe and nondiscriminatory learning environment, and complying with State and
federal civil rights obligations by ensuring that, when a student engages in
conduct reasonably perceived as bias-based or racially discriminatory or
demeaning, the response prioritizes understanding of the underlying causes and
providing corrective support rather than relying solely on punitive measures.

���� e.���� Racially discriminatory
or demeaning conduct may include, but is not limited to: the display or
creation of racially violent or hateful symbols; the use of language, slurs, or
phrases intended to demean or target an individual based on race; or the production
of art, drawings, or graffiti that conveys racially biased or threatening
messages.

���� f.���� Bias-based incidents in
New Jersey schools have risen sharply, mirroring Statewide and national
trends.� According to the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General, the State
recorded the highest number of reported bias incidents in nearly 30 years, with
more than 2,200 incidents reported in 2022, including acts targeting students
in grades kindergarten through 12.

���� g.��� Schools remain one of
the most common locations for bias incidents, including acts motivated by race,
ethnicity, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, and disability.�
Recent incidents in New Jersey have included the drawing of swastikas in school
bathrooms, antisemitic threats on school property, racial slurs directed at
students, and bias-motivated bullying of LGBTQ+ youth.

���� h.��� Bias-based conduct in
schools creates a hostile educational environment, undermines student safety,
and disproportionately harms students from historically marginalized
communities.

���� i.���� Research demonstrates
that early intervention, restorative practices, and structured education reduce
repeat incidents and improve school climate.

���� j.���� By requiring students
who engage in such behavior to meet with a qualified mental health
professional, school districts can identify potential emotional, developmental,
or environmental factors contributing to the conduct, provide appropriate
interventions, and reduce the likelihood of future harm.

���� k.��� This approach
strengthens student safety, promotes healthier peer relationships, and
reinforces the State�s commitment to addressing racial bias from an early age.�

���� l.���� New Jersey has a
compelling interest in ensuring that all students learn in an environment free
from discrimination, harassment, and intimidation, and that schools respond to
bias incidents with consistency, accountability, and educational support.

���� m.�� The Legislature,
therefore, finds it necessary to establish a stricter Statewide standard for
identifying, responding to, and preventing bias-based conduct in schools,
including mandatory behavioral intervention plans, restorative practices, staff
training, and transparent reporting.

���� 2.��� As used in sections 3
through 6 of this act:

���� �Bias act� means any verbal,
written, physical, or digital harassment, intimidation, threat, vandalism, or
other conduct that is motivated, in whole or in part, by a protected
characteristic and that creates a hostile educational environment.

���� �Bias incident� means any
suspected or confirmed bias act, which may include use of a bias symbol, that
occurs on school property, at any school-sponsored function, or on a school
bus.

���� �Bias symbol� means any image,
drawing, sign, gesture, or depiction historically or contemporarily used to
intimidate, demean, or express hostility toward a protected class.

���� �Protected characteristic�
means and includes race, color, ethnicity, national origin, religion,
disability status, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation,
immigration status, or any other class protected under State or federal law.

���� �Restorative intervention�
means a structured, facilitated process designed to repair harm, promote
accountability, and build understanding.

���� 3.��� a.� Notwithstanding any
law, rule, or regulation to the contrary, a school district shall require a
student determined by the district to have committed any bias incident to meet
with the district�s State-certified school psychologist once per week for a
minimum of nine months.� Each school district shall employ one State-certified
school psychologist with expertise in student counseling and training in
implicit bias, racial equity, or cultural competence or humility to provide the
services required pursuant to this subsection to the schools of the district.

���� b.��� Notwithstanding any law,
rule, or regulation to the contrary, a school district shall place a student in
an alternative education program under the following circumstances:

���� (1)�� a student�s parent or
guardian refuses to consent to student participation in the meetings required
pursuant to subsection a. of this section; or

���� (2)�� a student is reported
for engaging in a subsequent bias incident following completion of the meetings
required pursuant to subsection a. of this section.

���� c.���� When meeting with a
student pursuant to subsection a. of this section, a school psychologist shall:

���� (1)�� provide educational
resources to assist the student in understanding the impact of the student�s
conduct;

���� (2)�� offer a supportive
environment for the student to discuss and explore the potential motivation
behind the student�s conduct; and

���� (3)�� seek to determine
whether a mental health condition may have contributed to the student�s
actions.

���� 4.��� a.� Notwithstanding any
law, rule, or regulation to the contrary, a school district shall develop and
implement a Racial and Bias Intervention Plan for each student determined to
have engaged in a bias incident.

���� b.��� The Racial and Bias
Intervention Plan shall be created by a team of individuals that includes, but
is not limited to, an administrator, a school counselor or social worker, the
student�s parent or guardian, and any other individual the principal determines
appropriate.

���� c.���� The Racial and Bias
Intervention Plan shall include, but not be limited to, the following
components:

���� (1)�� educational and
restorative intervention components that include:

���� (a)�� individualized
educational sessions addressing the historical and contemporary impact of bias
symbols; bias, discrimination, and civil rights; and empathy, harm, and
community impact;

���� (b)�� a reflective writing or
project-based assignment requiring the student to identify the harm caused and
steps to repair the harm; and

���� (c)�� when agreed to by any
targeted student and family, a restorative intervention conference facilitated
by trained personnel;

���� (2)�� skill-building supports
that include:

���� (a)�� social-emotional
learning interventions addressing impulse control, respectful communication,
conflict resolution, and perspective-taking;

���� (b)�� regular check-ins with a
counselor, case manager, or designated staff member; and

���� (c)�� positive reinforcement
strategies for demonstrating respectful behavior; and

���� (3)�� environmental and
supervisory measures that include:

���� (a)�� increased adult
supervision in locations where the incident occurred;

���� (b)�� adjustments to seating,
grouping, or transitions when necessary to maintain safety; and

���� (c)�� clear, consistent
communication of behavioral expectations.

���� 5.��� a.� Notwithstanding any
law, rule, or regulation to the contrary, a school district shall report all
reported bias incidents to the Department of Education within 72 hours of the
report of the incident using a standardized reporting system to be established
by the Commissioner of Education.� The information reported by a school
district shall include, to the extent known, the information included in
subsection b. of this section.

���� b.��� Notwithstanding any law,
rule, or regulation to the contrary, the department shall compile and publish
an Annual Statewide Bias in Schools Report that shall include, but not be
limited to, the following:

���� (1)�� the number and type of
bias incidents reported by each district;

���� (2)�� the protected
characteristics targeted in a bias incident;

���� (3)�� the location and context
of the bias incident;

���� (4)�� the interventions and
disciplinary actions taken;

���� (5)�� when available,
aggregate demographic data; and

���� (6)�� identification of
trends, emerging concerns, and recommendations for Statewide action.

���� c.���� The Annual Statewide
Bias in Schools Report shall be made publicly available on the department�s
Internet website and transmitted to the Governor, the Legislature pursuant to
section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), the Attorney General, the State Board
of Education, and each school district in the State.

���� d.��� The department shall
publish quarterly dashboards on the department�s Internet website summarizing
the Statewide data included in subsection b. of this section in an accessible,
user-friendly format.

���� e.���� Nothing in this section
shall be construed to require the disclosure of personally identifiable
information.

���� 6.��� The provisions of this
act shall be construed as supplemental to, and not in conflict with, the
�Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights Act,� P.L.2002, c.82 (C.18A:37-13 et seq.).

���� 7.��� The Commissioner of
Education, in consultation with the Attorney General, shall adopt rules and
regulations, pursuant to the �Administrative Procedure Act,� P.L.1968, c.410
(C.52:14B-1 et seq.) that shall include model policies, training standards,
reporting protocols, restorative intervention frameworks, and curriculum
guidelines.� In developing the rules and regulations required pursuant to this
section, the commissioner shall consult with at least three Statewide racial
justice organizations with demonstrated expertise in addressing bias-based
conduct in the areas of race, color, religion or creed, national origin,
nationality, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity or
expression.

���� 8.��� This act shall take
effect on the 90th day after the date of enactment.

STATEMENT

���� This bill requires a student
determined by a school district to have committed any bias incident on school
property, at any school-sponsored function, or on a school bus to meet with the
district�s State-certified school psychologist once a week for a minimum of
nine months.� The bill requires each school district to employ one school
psychologist with expertise in student counseling and training in implicit
bias, racial equity, or cultural competence or humility to provide these
services to the schools of the district.

���� The bill requires a school
district to place a student in an alternative education program if: (1) a
student�s parent or guardian refuses to consent to student participation in the
meetings with the school psychologist; or (2) a student is reported for engaging
in a subsequent bias incident following completion of the meetings with the
school psychologist.

���� The bill requires a school
psychologist meeting with a student pursuant to the provisions of the bill to:
(1) provide educational resources to assist the student in understanding the
impact of the student�s conduct; (2) offer a supportive environment for the
student to discuss and explore the potential motivation behind the student�s
conduct; and (3) seek to determine whether a mental health condition may have
contributed to the student�s actions.

���� Under the bill, a school
district is required to develop and implement a Racial and Bias Intervention
Plan that includes numerous components for each student determined to have
engaged in a bias incident.

���� The bill also requires school
districts to report all reported bias incidents to the Department of Education
within 72 hours of the report of the incident using a standardized reporting
system to be established by the Commissioner of Education.� Under the bill, the
department is required to compile and publish quarterly dashboards and an
Annual Statewide Bias in Schools Report on the department�s Internet website
that is to include certain listed information.�

���� Finally, the provisions of the
bill are to be construed as supplemental to, and not in conflict with, the
�Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights Act.�