Sponsored by:
Assemblyman ERIK PETERSON
District 23 (Hunterdon, Somerset and Warren)
SYNOPSIS
Requires certain officers of education organizations to sign acknowledgement and undergo training concerning duties to report child abuse.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning the duty to report child abuse and supplementing chapter 36 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Any president or vice-president of the New Jersey Education Association or the American Federation of Teachers-New Jersey, including a president or vice-president of a local bargaining unit of the organization which represents teachers of grades kindergarten through 12, shall do the following prior to taking office:
a. sign an acknowledgement of the requirements to report potential incidents of child abuse under current law, including the duties established pursuant to section 3 of P.L.1971, c.437 (C.9:6-8.10) and section 2 of P.L.1984, c.228 (C.18A:36-25), and the duties contained in State Board of Education regulations to report potentially abused, missing, or neglected child situations; and
b. undergo training on the requirements for school district employees to notify the appropriate authorities of potential incidents of abused, missing, or neglected children.
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill requires that, prior to taking office as a president or vice-president of the New Jersey Education Association or the American Federation of Teachers-New Jersey, including a president or vice-president of a local bargaining unit of the organization which represents teachers of grades kindergarten through 12, the individual must sign an acknowledgement of the requirements to report potential incidents of child abuse pursuant to current law and State Board of Education regulations. In addition, the bill requires the individual to undergo training on the requirements for school district employees to notify the appropriate authorities of potential incidents of abused, missing, or neglected children.