WeVote
Log In

Bill

Bill

A 3871

Enacts the "American made flag act" to require that American flags purchased for use by the state government be made in the United States

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Joe Angelino and 8 co-sponsors

Requires NJ public schools to teach Latino and Hispanic history and contributions as part of Social Studies standards, with guidance and resources for implementation.

REFERRED TO GOVERNMENTAL OPERATIONS
0
WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · A 3871

Summary — A-3871 (Assembly Committee Substitute)

Status: Referred to Governmental Operations. Introduced Feb 27, 2024; Assembly Committee Substitute reported June 26, 2025.

Note on document inconsistency: The bill header provided initially (an “American made flag act”) does not match the bill text and committee statement. The official substitute text and committee statement attached to A-3871 address required instruction on Latino and Hispanic history in New Jersey public schools. This summary describes the enacted substitute language on curriculum.

Main purpose

Require New Jersey public schools to adopt and teach standards and curriculum content on Latino and Hispanic history and contributions as part of the New Jersey Student Learning Standards (NJSLS) implementation for K–12 students.

Key provisions

  • State Board of Education must adopt New Jersey Student Learning Standards in Social Studies (and originally proposed also in English Language Arts) that specifically address Latino and Hispanic American history.
  • Local boards of education must include instruction on the history and contributions of Latinos and Hispanics in an appropriate place in the K–12 curriculum as part of implementing the NJSLS in Social Studies.
  • The required instruction must be historically accurate, culturally relevant, community-based, contemporary, and developmentally appropriate (added in the Assembly Committee Substitute).
  • The Commissioner of Education, in consultation with the Commission on Latino and Hispanic Heritage (established by P.L.2019, c.321), shall provide school districts with sample learning activities and resources to support implementation.
  • Standards adoption timing: the new standards are to be adopted concurrent with scheduled updates to the NJSLS (the NJSLS are reviewed every five years; the next Social Studies review was noted for 2025). The act takes effect immediately and first applies to the first full school year following enactment.

Who is affected

  • State Board of Education (standard adoption)
  • New Jersey Department of Education and Commissioner (guidance and resources)
  • Local school districts and boards of education (curriculum design and implementation)
  • K–12 teachers and curriculum developers
  • All New Jersey public school students, who will receive required instruction on Latino/Hispanic history

Implementation, timeline & fiscal notes

  • Applies beginning the first full school year after enactment.
  • Standards adoption to align with the regular NJSLS revision cycle (reviewed every five years).
  • Committee reported the substitute as identical to companion Senate substitutes (e.g., S2335/SCS).
  • The committee statement indicates this bill has not been certified as requiring a fiscal note; potential costs (professional development, materials, curriculum revision) are not estimated in the report.

Context

The substitute notes research (Johns Hopkins Institute for Education Policy and UnidosUS, 2023) documenting underrepresentation of Latino history in widely used U.S. history textbooks, framing the bill’s intent to expand accurate and comprehensive instruction.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

Sign in to ask a question.