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S 4576

Establishes a procedure for appointing a president or chairperson upon a vacancy of such position

2025 Regular Session Introduced by James Skoufis

Creates a statewide grant program to fund 8th-grade substance abuse prevention in NJ public schools, with staff/parent education and a four-phase student program; opt-out allowed.

REFERRED TO WAYS AND MEANS
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Bill Summary · S 4576

Summary — S.4576 (Introduced Version / S4576A)

Status: Referred to Assembly Ways and Means (introduced June 5, 2025).
Primary sponsor: Sen. James Skoufis.
Note: The bill text provided is an introduced version that establishes a grant program for eighth‑grade substance abuse prevention. (The bill title in the header about appointing a president or chairperson appears to be mismatched with the bill text supplied; this summary follows the substance‑abuse education language included in the introduced version / S4576A.)

Purpose

Create a statewide grant program (administered by the Commissioner of Education) to fund a structured substance abuse prevention program for eighth‑grade students in New Jersey public school districts.

Key provisions

  • Commissioner of Education to establish the grant program and application/evaluation criteria and to allocate grants to selected districts within available appropriations.
  • Grant‑funded program must include two main components:
    1. Faculty and parent education
      • Workshops for school staff on signs, symptoms, behavioral and social factors related to substance abuse.
      • Parent sessions to provide knowledge and skills for reducing youth substance‑abuse risk.
    2. Student education — four phased approach:
      • Phase 1: Teenage residents of drug rehabilitation programs share personal experiences.
      • Phase 2: An individual with personal family knowledge of substance abuse addresses students, accompanied by an educational video.
      • Phase 3: Minimum‑custody offenders from State correctional facilities speak about offenses where drugs/alcohol played a role, prison time, and incarceration life.
      • Phase 4: A culminating full‑day event with positive role models/celebrities sharing experiences about succeeding without substance use.
  • Opt‑out: No student may be compelled to participate in the student component if a parent/guardian provides a signed statement that participation conflicts with the student’s conscience or sincerely held moral or religious beliefs; no penalties to credit or graduation.
  • Application requirements: Districts must submit an application in the form required by the Commissioner and certify that their budgets include funds to finance the program (may be district funds, private donations, or federal funds). Commissioner determines grant amounts.

Who is affected

  • Primary: Public school 8th‑grade students and families in participating districts.
  • Schools and district staff (faculty training responsibilities).
  • School district budgets (require certification of available funds and possible matching/leveraged funds).
  • Community partners referenced in program phases: drug rehabilitation programs, correctional facility personnel/offenders, guest speakers/celebrities.
  • New Jersey Department of Education (program administration, grant distribution, oversight).

Procedural history (as provided)

  • Introduced in Senate: 2025‑06‑05.
  • Referred to Senate Education Committee; subsequently advanced, amended (to 4576A), and passed the Senate (June 12, 2025).
  • Delivered to Assembly: June 12, 2025; referred to Assembly Ways and Means.
  • Related/companion bills listed: A.5833, A.8570; prior-session bills S.9148, S.3437.

Effective date

  • The introduced version states the act would take effect immediately upon enactment.

Considerations / potential impacts

  • Costs: Grant amounts are unspecified and depend on available appropriations; districts must demonstrate budgeted funds (public, private, or federal) to participate.
  • Logistics & safety: Use of minimum‑custody offenders and external speakers requires coordination, vetting, and risk management by districts and corrections authorities.
  • Community acceptance: The opt‑out provision addresses conscience/religious objections; program content and guest speakers may prompt local feedback about appropriateness and methods.
  • Implementation: Successful rollout depends on Commissioner criteria, grant funding levels, and district capacity to host multi‑phase programming.

If you want, I can prepare a one‑page brief comparing this bill with the listed companion bills (A5833 / A8570) or draft a short memo highlighting likely budgetary questions for appropriations committees.

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

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