Bill Text: NJ A708 | 2024-2025 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Requires DOE to develop model policies for ensuring parental notification of sexually explicit content in curriculum; requires board of education to provide parental notification of sexually explicit content in curriculum.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 2-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-01-09 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Education Committee [A708 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2024-A708-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
221st LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2024 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman MICHAEL TORRISSI, JR.
District 8 (Atlantic and Burlington)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblyman McGuckin
SYNOPSIS
Requires DOE to develop model policies for ensuring parental notification of sexually explicit content in curriculum; requires board of education to provide parental notification of sexually explicit content in curriculum.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Act concerning public school curricula and supplementing chapter 35 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. As used in this section, "sexually explicit content" means any description of, or any picture, photograph, drawing, motion picture film, digital image, or similar visual representation, depicting sexual bestiality, a lewd exhibition of nudity, sexual excitement, sexual conduct or sadomasochistic abuse, or fetishism.
b. The Department of Education shall develop and make available to each board of education model policies for ensuring parental notification of any instructional material that includes sexually explicit content, and include information, guidance, procedures, and standards relating to:
(1) ensuring parental notification prior to a student's exposure to sexually explicit content in school curriculum;
(2) directly identifying the specific instructional material and sexually explicit subjects; and
(3) permitting the parent or guardian of any student to review instructional material that includes sexually explicit content and provide, as an alternative, nonexplicit instructional materials and related academic activities to any student whose parent requests those alternatives.
c. Each board of education shall adopt policies that are consistent with, but may be more comprehensive than, the model policies developed by the department pursuant to subsection b. of this section.
d. Nothing in this act shall be construed to provide for the censoring of books in public elementary and secondary schools.
2. This act shall take effect immediately and shall first apply to the first full school year beginning after the date of enactment.
STATEMENT
This bill requires the Department of Education to develop model policies for ensuring parental notification of sexually explicit content in the school curriculum and requires boards of education to provide parental notification of sexually explicit content in the school curriculum.
Under the bill, the Department of Education is required to develop and make available to each board of education model policies for ensuring parental notification of any instructional material that includes sexually explicit content, and include information, guidance, procedures, and standards relating to:
(1) ensuring parental notification prior to a student's exposure to sexually explicit content in school curriculum;
(2) directly identifying the specific instructional material and sexually explicit subjects; and
(3) permitting the parent or guardian of any student to review instructional material that includes sexually explicit content and provide, as an alternative, nonexplicit instructional materials and related academic activities to any student whose parent requests those alternatives.
The bill also directs each board of education to adopt policies that are consistent with, but may be more comprehensive than, the model policies developed by the department.
The provisions of the bill will not be construed to provide for the censoring of books in public elementary and secondary schools.
