Establishes "School Opening and School Closing Student Safety Task Force" to review safety of students when schools open and close for school day.

S4155

SENATE, No. 4155

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

INTRODUCED MAY 11, 2026

Sponsored by:

Senator� JOSEPH P. CRYAN

District 20 (Union)

SYNOPSIS

���� Establishes "School Opening and School Closing
Student Safety Task Force" to review safety of students when schools open
and close for school day.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� As introduced.

��

An Act

establishing the �School Opening and School
Closing Student Safety Task Force.�

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

���� 1.��� There is established a School
Opening and School Closing Student Safety Task Force. The task force shall
consist of 12 members, including: the Commissioner of Education, ex officio, or
a designee; one member appointed by the President of the Senate and one member appointed
by the Speaker of the General Assembly, both of whom shall be members of the
public with demonstrated expertise in issues relating to the work of the task
force; and nine public members appointed by the Governor, including one
representative from each of the following: the New Jersey Association of School
Administrators; the New Jersey Education Association; the American Federation
of Teachers New Jersey; the New Jersey School Boards Association; the New
Jersey Principals and Supervisors Association; the New Jersey Charter Schools
Association; the Advisory Committee for Nonpublic Schools of the Department of
Education; and two parents of students, one of whom attends a public school and
one of whom attends a nonpublic school.

���� 2.��� All appointments shall
be made within 30 days of the effective date of this act. Vacancies in the
membership of the task force shall be filled in the same manner as the original
appointments were made. Members of the task force shall serve without
compensation, but shall be entitled to actual and necessary expenses incurred
in the performance of their duties within the limits of funds made available to
the task force for its purposes.

���� 3.��� The task force shall
organize as soon as practicable following the appointment of its members, but
not later than 60 days after the effective date of this act. The task force
shall choose a chairperson from among its members and shall appoint a secretary
who need not be a member of the task force.

���� 4.��� It shall be the duty of
the task force to assess the public safety of students when schools are opening
or closing for the school day. The task force shall study and consider issues
including, but not limited to:

���� a.���� an evaluation of
student-arrival and student-departure practices in New Jersey schools, as well
as a review of existing research and best practices, to ensure students:

���� (1)�� are properly accounted
for during the loading and unloading procedure for their assigned school bus,
or being picked up or dropped off at the school by a parent or guardian; and

���� (2)�� are loaded onto and
unloaded from school buses, or a parent�s or guardian�s vehicle, in areas away
from other vehicles or areas that could endanger the physical well-being of
students;���������������

���� b.��� changes in traffic
patterns or congestion associated with school openings and closings and the
possible impact on student safety; and

���� c.���� an examination of
whether adequate personnel are provided during the opening and closing of the
school, including an evaluation of the need for a municipal police presence
during student-arrival and student-departure.

���� 5.��� Staff and related
support services shall be provided to the task force by the Department of
Education. The task force shall be entitled to call to its assistance and avail
itself of the services of the employees of any State, county or municipal
department, board, bureau, commission or agency as it may require and as may be
available for its purposes.

���� 6.��� The task force shall
issue a final report of its findings and recommendations to the Governor, and
to the Legislature pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), no
later than one year after the task force organizes.

���� 7.��� This act shall take
effect immediately and the task force shall expire 30 days after the submission
of the final report.

STATEMENT

���� This bill establishes a
12-member School Opening and School Closing Student Safety Task Force. The task
force will be composed of: the Commissioner of Education, or his designee; one
member appointed by the President of the Senate and one member appointed by the
Speaker of the General Assembly, both of whom shall be members of the public
with demonstrated expertise in issues relating to the work of the task force;
and nine public members appointed by the Governor, including one representative
from each of the following: the New Jersey Association of School
Administrators; the New Jersey Education Association; the American Federation
of Teachers New Jersey; the New Jersey School Boards Association; the New
Jersey Principals and Supervisors Association; the New Jersey Charter Schools
Association; the Advisory Committee for Nonpublic Schools of the Department of
Education; and two parents of students, one enrolled in a public school and one
enrolled in a nonpublic school.

���� Under the bill, the task force
will assess the safety of students when schools are opening and closing for the
school day. �The task force will examine issues including, but not limited to:

�

an evaluation
of student-arrival and student-departure practices in New Jersey schools, as
well as a review of existing research and best practices, to ensure students:
(1) are properly accounted for when being loaded onto and unloaded from their
assigned school bus, or being picked up or dropped off by a parent or guardian;
and (2) are loaded onto and unloaded from school buses, or a parent�s or
guardian�s vehicle, in areas away from other vehicles or areas that could
endanger the physical wellbeing of students;

�

changes in
traffic patterns or congestion associated with school openings and closings and
the possible impact on student safety; and

�

an examination
of whether adequate personnel are provided during the opening and closing of
the school, including an evaluation of the need for a municipal police presence
during student-arrival and student-departure.

���� The bill directs the task
force to issue a final report of its findings and recommendations to the
Governor and the Legislature no later than one year after the task force
organizes.