Three bills that local school board members and NJSBA have advocated for have been introduced in the state Assembly.
The bills were introduced by Assemblyman Jon Bramnick (R-Union), leader of the Assembly Republican Caucus.
In August, Legislative Committee members Mary Venditti of the Cranford board and Kathy Helewa of the Warren township board met with Bramnick, who is their Assembly representative, to discuss concerns including the recent School Ethics Committee advisory opinions regarding volunteerism and what constitutes a conflict of interest, as well as the onerous process currently used to fund nonpublic school textbooks and nurses through the local public school district. As a direct result of that meeting, Assemblyman Bramnick introduced the following bills:
- A-4855: Clarifies circumstances in which school board members may participate in volunteer activities.
- A-4879: Clarifies law on ethical conduct of board of education members and school administrators and provides requirements for boards invoking doctrine of necessity.
- A-4880: Provides that the Commissioner of Education, rather than school districts, will be responsible for implementation of nonpublic textbook and nursing services programs.
The bills will now be assigned to committee, but there is no guarantee of consideration. NJSBA urges board members to reach out to their local legislators and urge them to support and/or cosponsor these bills.
Board members can identify their legislators and find contact information at this site online.