STATE OF NEW JERSEY
221st LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2024 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman SHANIQUE SPEIGHT
District 29 (Essex and Hudson)
Assemblyman REGINALD W. ATKINS
District 20 (Union)
SYNOPSIS
Requires school districts to maintain restrooms in good working order.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Act concerning public school facilities and amending N.J.S.18A:33-1.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. N.J.S.18A:33-1 is amended to read as follows:
a. Each school district shall provide, for all children who reside in the district and are required to attend the public schools therein and those who reside therein or elsewhere and are entitled or permitted to attend the schools of the district pursuant to law, suitable educational facilities including proper school buildings and furniture and equipment, convenience of access thereto, and courses of study suited to the ages and attainments of all pupils between the ages of five and 20 years, either in schools within the district convenient of access to the pupils, or as provided by article 2 of chapter 38 of this title, but no course of study shall be adopted or altered except by the recorded roll call majority vote of the full membership of the board of education of the district.
b. In providing suitable educational facilities pursuant to subsection a. of this section, a school district shall ensure that all restrooms are maintained in good working order and updated or renovated as needed. Restrooms shall be cleaned and sanitized daily and contain the following:
(1) properly functioning toilets and sinks free of leaks or other plumbing issues;
(2) toilet paper holders fully stocked with toilet paper;
(3) stall doors that are able to open, close, and lock while occupied;
(4) properly functioning hand dryers or fully stocked paper towel dispensers;
(5) trash bins to be emptied by maintenance staff at regular intervals; and
(6) menstrual product disposal units to be cleaned and emptied by maintenance staff at regular intervals.
c. The Commissioner of Education shall adopt rules and regulations pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), to effectuate the purposes of this section.
(cf: N.J.S.18A:33-1)
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill requires school districts to maintain all restrooms in good working order. Under current law, each school district is required to, in part, provide suitable educational facilities for all children who reside in the district and attend the public schools, and for all children living outside of the district who are entitled or permitted to attend the schools of the district pursuant to law. This includes proper school buildings and furniture and equipment and courses of study suited to the ages and attainments of all pupils between the ages of five and 20 years.
The bill would amend current law to require school districts, in providing suitable educational facilities, to ensure that all restrooms are maintained in good working order and updated or renovated as needed. Restrooms would be required to be cleaned and sanitized daily and contain the following:
· properly functioning toilets and sinks free of leaks or other plumbing issues;
· toilet paper holders fully stocked with toilet paper;
· stall doors that are able to open, close, and lock while occupied;
· properly functioning hand dryers or fully stocked paper towel dispensers;
· trash bins to be emptied by maintenance staff at regular intervals; and
· menstrual product disposal units to be cleaned and emptied by maintenance staff at regular intervals.