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Bill

S 569

Establishes County-Based School Security Pilot Program in DOE; appropriates $15 million.

2026-2027 Regular Session Introduced by Jim Beach and 1 co-sponsor

Creates a three-year county-based program in Essex, Mercer, and Camden to expand student mental health services and school-security supports with $15M funding.

Referred to Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee
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Bill Summary · S 569

Overview

S 569 establishes a three-year County-Based School Security Pilot Program within the New Jersey Department of Education (DOE), focused on Essex, Mercer, and Camden counties. The program combines county-level mental health services for public school students with enhanced security infrastructure and training for school districts in the pilot counties. It includes a $15 million appropriation from the General Fund and requires regular reporting to the Governor and Legislature.

Purpose and intent

  • Create a county-based approach to improving student mental health supports and school security.
  • Pilot integrated services in three counties to assess feasibility, effectiveness, and potential for expansion or modification.

Key provisions and changes

  • Establishment
    • Creates a three-year County-Based School Security Pilot Program in the DOE.
    • Pilot counties: Essex, Mercer, and Camden.
  • Programs and services
    • County-based mental health program for public school students residing in pilot counties and attending public schools.
    • Components of mental health program:
    • Individual and group clinical mental health services.
    • Referrals to community-based mental health providers.
    • Evidence-based interventions.
    • Mental health screenings.
    • Crisis intervention.
    • Additional security supports for school districts within a pilot county, including:
    • Expanded access to training for active shooter scenarios.
    • Bullet-resistant mobile ballistic shields.
    • Other protective equipment as deemed necessary by the Commissioner.
  • Implementation and collaboration
    • DOE Commissioner to collaborate with:
    • Commissioner of Human Services.
    • Commissioner of Children and Families.
    • Director of the State Office of Emergency Management in the Division of State Police (Department of Law and Public Safety).
  • Selection criteria for security supports
    • When selecting districts for additional security supports, the Commissioner may consider security needs reflected in the DOE’s annual report on violence, vandalism, and harassment, intimidation, or bullying (VIIB) in each school district.
  • Reporting and evaluation
    • The Commissioner must report within one year after implementation, and then annually for three years, to the Governor and the Legislature.
    • Reports to include implementation details, evaluation of student mental health services in pilot counties, and recommendations on continuing, expanding, or modifying the program.
  • Funding
    • Appropriates $15 million from the General Fund to the DOE to implement the provisions of the act.
  • Effective date
    • Takes effect in the first full school year after enactment, with the possibility of anticipatory administrative action by the DOE to begin implementation earlier.

Affected parties

  • Public school students residing in Essex, Mercer, and Camden counties.
  • Public school districts within those counties.
  • DOE, in collaboration with:
    • Department of Human Services.
    • Department of Children and Families.
    • State Police’s Division of State Police (via the State Office of Emergency Management).
  • Potential vendors and providers of mental health services and security equipment/training as part of the pilot.

Timeline and procedural aspects

  • Implementation window: Three-year pilot period starting in the first full school year after enactment.
  • Annual reporting: Year 1 post-implementation, then annually for two additional years (total of three years of annual reports).
  • Funding: $15 million General Fund appropriation to DOE concurrent with enactment.

Notes

  • The bill emphasizes data-driven decision-making by tying security enhancements to the DOE’s VIIB report data.
  • It combines mental health service expansion with physical security improvements, reflecting a holistic approach to school safety within the pilot counties.

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

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