Bill > A375

Introduced Session

This bill directs the Commissioner of Education to review the handling of bullying reports by school boards; requires the Department of Education to include additional content in its guidance document on bullying; and requires department and district communications on bullying be made available to parents in additional languages. The bill requires that, to the greatest extent practicable, school district communications be provided to parents or guardians in a language that the parent or guardian understands when:· the school principal contacts a student's parent or guardian about the student's involvement in an alleged incident of harassment, intimidation, or bullying;· notifying parents and guardians about the availability of the district bullying policy; and· providing information about the process to confidentially report an incident of harassment, intimidation, or bullying The bill requires that the guidance document developed by the Department of Education for use by parents or guardians, students, and school districts to assist in resolving complaints concerning harassment, intimidation, or bullying be made available, to the greatest extent practicable, in the various languages most frequently spoken in the homes of students. Additionally, the bill requires the guidance document to address the unique challenges of responding to complaints concerning student harassment, intimidation, or bullying behaviors that involve: (1) sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or other potentially sensitive identities of students; or (2) younger elementary students, preschool students, and other students who lack the developmental capacity to understand the impact of bullying behaviors. This bill also directs the Commissioner of Education, in consultation with the School Climate State Coordinator, to assess the needs of school boards in reviewing the decisions of superintendents on harassment, intimidation, and bullying incidents. The assessment is to consider:· the familiarity of board members with school climate;· the knowledge of board members of the relevant laws and regulations;· the availability, use, and effectiveness of training for board members on harassment, intimidation, and bullying in the schools; and· the volume of harassment, intimidation, and bullying incidents reported to school boards. Upon completion of the assessment, the commissioner shall make recommendations to the Governor and the Legislature towards improving the ability of school boards in fulfilling this function. This bill implements certain recommendations of the report from the New Jersey Anti-Bullying Task Force, dated December 28, 2023.

AI Summary

Committee Categories

Vicky Flynn (R)*, 

Introduced, Referred to Assembly Education Committee (on 01/13/2026)

Official Document