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S3453
SENATE, No. 3453
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
222nd LEGISLATURE
�
INTRODUCED FEBRUARY 9, 2026
Sponsored by:
Senator� JAMES BEACH
District 6 (Burlington and Camden)
Senator� ANTHONY M. BUCCO
District 25 (Morris and Passaic)
Co-Sponsored by:
Senators Corrado, McKnight and Tiver
SYNOPSIS
���� Establishes pilot program in DOE to use therapy dogs
in public elementary school wellness programs.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
���� As introduced.
��
An Act
establishing a pilot program in the Department of
Education on the use of therapy dogs in public elementary school wellness
programs.
����
Be It
Enacted
by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:
���� 1.��� a.� The Commissioner of
Education shall establish a three-year pilot program to assess the academic and
health benefits associated with the use of therapy dogs in public elementary
school wellness programs.
���� b.��� A school district that
wants to participate in the pilot program shall submit an application to the
commissioner.� The application shall include, but not be limited to: the number
of elementary schools in the school district; the number of students enrolled
in each elementary school; information on student participation in wellness
programs at each elementary school; and information on how the school district
plans to use therapy dogs to promote student wellness.
���� c.���� The commissioner shall
select two districts in each of the southern, central, and northern regions of
the State to participate in the program and shall seek a cross section of
school districts from urban, suburban, and rural areas of the State.
���� d.��� The commissioner shall
provide pilot districts with guidance regarding the use of therapy dogs in
schools including: examples of activities that students may engage in with a
therapy dog; recommended training requirements for therapy dog handlers; recommended
measures to evaluate the health and appropriate behavior of therapy dogs; and
insurance issues relevant to having therapy dogs on school district property.
���� e.���� No later than June 30
of the third school year following the establishment of the pilot program, the
commissioner shall submit to the Governor, and to the Legislature pursuant to
section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), a report that evaluates the effectiveness
of the pilot program in improving the academic performance and health outcomes
of students in elementary schools.
���� 2.��� This act shall take
effect immediately.
STATEMENT
���� This bill establishes a
three-year pilot program to assess the academic and health benefits associated
with the use of therapy dogs in public elementary school wellness programs.
Under the bill, a school district that wants to participate in the pilot program
is required to submit an application to the commissioner. The application is
required to include: the number of elementary schools in the school district;
the number of students enrolled in each elementary school; information on
student participation in wellness programs at each elementary school; and
information on how the school district plans to use therapy dogs to promote
student wellness. The commissioner is to select two districts in each of the
southern, central, and northern regions of the State to participate in the
program and is to seek a cross section of school districts from urban,
suburban, and rural areas of the State. The commissioner is to provide pilot
districts with guidance regarding the use of therapy dogs in schools including:
examples of activities that students may engage in with a therapy dog;
recommended training requirements for therapy dog handlers; recommended
measures to evaluate the health and appropriate behavior of therapy dogs; and
insurance issues relevant to having therapy dogs on school district property.
No later than June 30 of the third school year following the establishment of
the pilot program, the commissioner is to submit to the Governor and to the
Legislature a report that evaluates the effectiveness of the pilot program in
improving the academic performance and health outcomes of students in
elementary schools.