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A4663
ASSEMBLY, No. 4663
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
222nd LEGISLATURE
�
INTRODUCED MARCH 10, 2026
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman� AURA K. DUNN
District 25 (Morris and Passaic)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblyman Scharfenberger
SYNOPSIS
���� Requires boards of education to adopt suicide
prevention policies and DOE to establish model suicide prevention policy.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
���� As introduced.
��
An Act
concerning student suicide prevention 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.��� As used in this act:
���� �Intervention� means specific
actions implemented by a school in response to student suicidal behavior,
including: student supervision; notification of parents or guardians;
crisis-response protocols; processes for immediate mental health assessment or
emergency services; and school re-entry procedures following a student mental health
crisis.
���� �Postvention� means planned
support and interventions a school implements after a suicide attempt or
suicide of a student or any employee of a school district that are designed to:
reduce the risk of suicide contagion; provide support for affected students and
any employees of a school district; address the social stigma associated with
suicide; and disseminate factual information about suicide.
���� �Prevention� means specific
actions a school implements to recognize and reduce suicidal behavior,
including: identifying risk and protective factors for suicide and suicide
warning signs; establishing a process by which students are referred to a
behavioral health provider for help; making available school-based and
community-based mental health supports; providing the location of available
online and community suicide prevention resources, including local crisis
centers and hotlines; and adopting policies and protocols regarding school
safety, and crisis response.
���� 2.��� a.� A board of education
of a school district shall adopt a policy on student suicide prevention.� When
developing the policy, a board of education shall review the model policy
established by the Commissioner of Education pursuant to subsection b. of this
section and consult with school and community stakeholders, school-employed
mental health professionals, and suicide prevention experts.� A board of
education shall have local control over the content of the policy, except that
the policy shall, at a minimum:
���� (1)�� address procedures
relating to suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention; and
���� (2)�� recognize the needs of
high-risk groups.
���� b.��� To assist boards of
education in developing policies for student suicide prevention, the
commissioner shall develop a model policy, applicable to grades kindergarten
through 12.� The model policy shall be updated as the commissioner deems
necessary.��
���� c.���� A board of education
shall:
���� (1)� post the policy on the
board�s Internet website; and
���� (2)� notify students, parents,
and guardians that the policy is available on the board�s Internet website.�
���� 3.��� This act shall take
effect immediately and shall first apply in the first full school year
following the date of enactment.�
STATEMENT
���� This bill requires each public
board of education of a school district to adopt a policy on suicide
prevention, intervention, and postvention.� The bill requires the Commissioner
of Education to develop a model policy in order to help boards of education in
establishing their own policies.� Each board of education�s policy is required
to be developed in consultation with school and community stakeholders,
school-employed mental health professionals, and suicide prevention experts.
���� The policy is required to address
procedures relating to suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention, and
recognize the needs of high-risk groups.� The bill defines �prevention� to mean
specific actions a school implements to recognize and reduce suicidal behavior.�
�Intervention� is defined as specific actions a school implements in response
to student suicidal behavior.� The bill further defines �postvention� as
planned support and interventions a school implements after a suicide attempt
or suicide of a student or any employee of a school district.
���� Finally, the bill requires
each board of education to post the policy on its Internet website and notify
students, parents, and guardians that the policy has been posted to the board�s
website.