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S 3824

Prohibits elementary and secondary schools from withholding student transcripts for failure to pay tuition

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Luis Sepúlveda

Allows apartment-complex pools that restrict access to tenants and invited guests to be exempt from state lifeguard/first-aid staffing if they post required warnings.

PRINT NUMBER 3824A
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Bill Summary · S 3824

Note: the official bill text and committee statement for S-3824 address swimming-pool lifeguard/first-aid requirements for apartment complexes. (The title shown in the prompt about withholding school transcripts does not match the bill content; this summary reflects the bill text and committee statement.)

Summary — S-3824 (Print No. 3824A)

Purpose

S-3824 amends New Jersey law (P.L.1991, c.135, C.26:4A-4) to treat apartment complexes that restrict pool use to tenants and their invited guests as a “specially exempt facility.” That designation exempts such apartment-complex pools from the State’s first‑aid personnel and lifeguard staffing requirements under certain conditions, while requiring specified posted warnings if the operator chooses not to comply with those staffing rules.

Key provisions

  • Amends the statutory definition of “specially exempt facility” to explicitly include an “apartment complex” that restricts pool use to tenants who occupy the premises and their invited guests.
    • “Apartment complex” is defined as one or more apartment buildings on the same premises owned by a person or entity that receives monthly rental payments from tenants who occupy the premises.
  • As a “specially exempt facility,” an apartment-complex pool may be exempt from the first-aid and lifeguard requirements found at N.J.A.C. 8:26‑5.1 et seq., provided the operator does not voluntarily comply with those requirements.
  • If the operator does not employ lifeguards/first-aid personnel, the facility must post a sign (minimum 3 feet by 4 feet) at the pool entrance that reads (per existing statutory language): “No lifeguard on duty. Persons under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult. No swimming alone.”
  • The Commissioner of Health is directed to adopt implementing rules and regulations pursuant to the Administrative Procedure Act.

Who would be affected

  • Apartment-complex owners/operators that provide private pools for tenants and invited guests: they could avoid meeting State lifeguard/first-aid staffing requirements if the pool meets the restricted‑use condition and appropriate signage is posted.
  • Tenants and invited guests who use apartment-complex pools: they will be subject to pools operating without lifeguards or onsite first‑aid personnel unless the operator elects to provide them.
  • Potentially insurers and local authorities interested in pool safety enforcement and liability.

Procedural/timeline aspects

  • Effective date: 180th day after enactment; the Commissioner of Health may take anticipatory administrative action before that date.
  • Regulatory action: Commissioner must promulgate rules under the Administrative Procedure Act to implement the statute.

Legislative status and sponsors

  • Introduced: October 24, 2024
  • Committee action: Reported favorably by the Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee (June 9, 2025); print number 3824A (March 6, 2025).
  • Sponsor: Senator Luis R. Sepúlveda (primary)
  • Related/companion bills: A-4885 (companion), A-4946 (companion), prior-session Senate bills (S-12, S-475, S-503, etc.)

Potential considerations

  • Operational cost and liability: Owners/operators could reduce staffing costs by claiming the exemption, which may affect insurance and risk management practices.
  • Public safety: Use of pools without lifeguards may increase reliance on posted warnings and user responsibility; local municipalities and tenants may have concerns about safety and supervision.
  • Enforcement: The amendment relies on restricted-use criteria and signage; practical enforcement and oversight will depend on regulatory guidance from the Department of Health.

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

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