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A4602 • 2026

Requires State Board of Education to include instruction on mental health first aid training as part of professional development requirement for public school teachers.

Requires State Board of Education to include instruction on mental health first aid training as part of professional development requirement for public school teachers.

Education
Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor
Murphy, Carol A.
Last action
2026-03-10
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 State Board of Education to include instruction on mental health first aid training as part of professional development requirement for public school teachers.

Requires State Board of Education to include instruction on mental health first aid training as part of professional development requirement for public school teachers.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires State Board of Education to include instruction on mental health first aid training as part of professional development requirement for public school teachers.
  • 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. 2026-03-10 New Jersey Legislature

    Introduced, Referred to Assembly Education Committee

Official Summary Text

Requires State Board of Education to include instruction on mental health first aid training as part of professional development requirement for public school teachers.
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 
A4602

ASSEMBLY, No. 4602

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

INTRODUCED MARCH 10, 2026

Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman� CAROL A. MURPHY

District 7 (Burlington)

SYNOPSIS

���� Requires State Board of Education to include
instruction on mental health first aid training as part of professional
development requirement for public school teachers.�

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� As introduced.

��

An Act

concerning mental health first aid training for
public school teachers and supplementing chapter 6 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 State Board of
Education shall, as part of the professional development requirement
established by the State board for public school teachers, require each public
school teacher to complete at least eight hours of instruction in mental health
first aid training within the public school teacher�s first year of employment
and to obtain recertification in mental health first aid training every three
years thereafter.� The instruction in mental health first aid training shall
include information on topics including, but not limited to: how to identify,
understand, and respond to signs of mental health illnesses and substance use
disorders; the risk factors and warning signs for mental health illnesses and
substance use disorders; interventions and strategies on how to assist an
individual in both crisis and non-crisis situations; and overviews of mental
health illnesses that may present in children and adolescents, including
depression and mood disorders, anxiety disorders, trauma, psychosis, and
substance use disorders.�

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

STATEMENT

���� This bill directs the State
Board of Education to require each public school teacher to complete eight
hours of instruction in mental health first aid training within the first year
of employment and to obtain recertification in mental health first aid training
every three years thereafter.�

���� The training would include,
but not be limited to, information on: how to identify, understand, and respond
to signs of mental health illnesses and substance use disorders; the risk
factors and warning signs for mental health illnesses and substance use
disorders; interventions and strategies on how to assist an individual in both
crisis and non-crisis situations; and overviews of mental health illnesses that
may present in children and adolescents, including depression and mood
disorders, anxiety disorders, trauma, psychosis, and substance use disorders.�

���� To stay updated on the latest
information regarding mental health and substance use disorders, it is
recommended that recertification in mental health first aid training be
completed every three years.���