Establishes "Support for Students Exposed to Domestic Violence Fund" in DOE to support public schools in addressing impact of domestic violence.

S4136

SENATE, No. 4136

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

INTRODUCED MAY 11, 2026

Sponsored by:

Senator� LINDA R. GREENSTEIN

District 14 (Mercer and Middlesex)

Senator� JOSEPH P. CRYAN

District 20 (Union)

Co-Sponsored by:

Senator McKnight

SYNOPSIS

���� Establishes �Support for Students Exposed to Domestic
Violence Fund� in DOE to support public schools in addressing impact of
domestic violence.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� As introduced.

��

An Act
concerning support for school-based therapy and
trauma-informed mental health services and supplementing chapter 40 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.� There is hereby established
in the Department of Education a non-lapsing, revolving fund to be known as the
�Support for Students Exposed to Domestic Violence Fund,� which shall be held
separate and apart from all other funds of the State.� All monies appropriated
annually by the Legislature, federal and other grants received by the State,
and any other monies made available for the purposes of the fund shall be
deposited in the fund.�

���� b.� Monies in the �Support for
Students Exposed to Domestic Violence Fund� shall be used by the Department of
Education to provide support and funding to public schools throughout the State
for purposes that may include the following:

���� (1)�� initiatives to provide
school-based therapy and trauma-informed mental health services to students who
have been exposed to domestic violence;

���� (2)�� the identification and
promotion of resources to assist school districts in addressing unmet needs of
students who have been exposed to domestic violence; and

���� (3)�� the provision of grants
to public schools to fund the employment and training of personnel who provide
school-based therapy and mental health services to students.

���� c.���� The Department of
Education shall administer the fund and allocate balances in the fund to public
schools pursuant to a methodology to be determined by the department.

���� d.��� A public school that
receives funds pursuant to this section shall report to the Department of
Education, in a manner and form to be determined by the department, details
concerning the use of these funds.

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

STATEMENT

���� This bill establishes a
non-lapsing, revolving fund, the �Support for Students Exposed to Domestic
Violence Fund,� in the Department of Education to provide support and funding
to public schools throughout the State in connection with school-based therapy
and mental health services for students who have been exposed to domestic
violence.

���� The fund would be credited
with monies appropriated annually by the Legislature, federal and other grants
received by the State, and any other monies made available for the purposes of
the fund.� These funds may be used to support: initiatives to provide
school-based therapy and trauma-informed mental health services to students who
have been exposed to domestic violence; the identification and promotion of
resources to assist school districts in addressing unmet needs of students who
have been exposed to domestic violence; and the provision of grants to public
schools to fund the employment and training of personnel who provide
school-based therapy and mental health services to students.

���� Under the bill, the Department
of Education is required to administer the fund and allocate balances in the
fund to public schools pursuant to a methodology to be determined by the
department.� Finally, a public school that receives funds is required to report
to the department details concerning the use of these funds.