Bill Text: NJ A5324 | 2018-2019 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Clarifies that child may not be excluded from public school based on membership in protected category under "Law Against Discrimination" or immigration status.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 6-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2019-12-16 - Substituted by S2982 [A5324 Detail]

Download: New_Jersey-2018-A5324-Introduced.html

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ASSEMBLY, No. 5324

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

218th LEGISLATURE

 

INTRODUCED MAY 13, 2019

 

 

Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman  PAMELA R. LAMPITT

District 6 (Burlington and Camden)

 

 

 

 

SYNOPSIS

     Clarifies that child may not be excluded from public school based on membership in protected category under "Law Against Discrimination" or immigration status.

 

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

     As introduced.

 

An Act concerning exclusion from public school and amending NJ.S.18A:38-5.1.

 

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

 

     1.    N.J.S.18A:38-5.1 is amended to read as follows:

     18A:38-5.1.  No child between the ages of four and 20 years shall be excluded from any public school on account of his race, creed, color, national origin, [or] ancestry, or other protected category under subsection f. of section 11 of P.L.1945, c.169 (C.10:5-12), or immigration status.  A member of any board of education who shall vote to exclude from any public school any child, on account of his race, creed, color, national origin, [or] ancestry, or other protected category under subsection f. of section 11 of P.L.1945, c.169 (C.10:5-12), or immigration status shall be guilty of a [misdemeanor, and punished by a fine of  not less than $50.00 nor more than $250.00, or by imprisonment in the county jail, workhouse or penitentiary of the county in which the offense has been  committed, for not less than 30 days nor more than six months, or by both such  fine and imprisonment in the discretion of the court] disorderly persons offense.

(cf: N.J.S.18A:38-5.1)

 

     2.    This act shall take effect immediately.

 

 

STATEMENT

 

     This bill amends a current section of law, N.J.S.18A:38-5.1, to clarify that a school district may not exclude a child from school based on any characteristic that is a protected category under the "Law Against Discrimination," P.L.1945, c.169 (C.10:5-1 et seq.), or on the child's immigration status.  The bill also updates the existing penalty that may be imposed upon a member of a board of education if a child is excluded from public school on any of these bases.