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Bill

A 5647

Requires certain school districts to hold annual, multi-day program on bullying prevention and intervention.

2024-2025 Regular Session Introduced by Verlina Reynolds-Jackson and 1 co-sponsor

Requires 4–12 districts to hold an annual 3–5 day bullying prevention program for students and staff, with funding and potential penalties for noncompliance.

Introduced in the Assembly, Referred to Assembly Education Committee
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Bill Summary · A 5647

Summary: New Jersey A 5647 – Annual Multi-Day Bullying Prevention Program

Overview

A 5647 would require school districts in New Jersey that serve grades 4–12 to conduct an annual, multi-day program focused on bullying prevention and intervention. The program is designed to educate students on bullying, cyberbullying, bystander intervention, empathy, inclusivity, and related topics, and to include staff training. The bill also creates and utilizes the Bullying Prevention Fund to support these efforts and provides enforcement mechanisms for noncompliance.

What the bill would do

  • Mandate: Any school district with grades 4–12 must hold an annual multi-day program (3–5 days) for students on bullying prevention and intervention.
  • Content: The program must cover: 1) Bullying awareness, types, and short/long-term effects 2) Cyberbullying prevention, responsible technology use, reporting 3) Bystander intervention and conflict resolution 4) Empathy and inclusivity 5) Creation of supportive peer relationships 6) Any other district-determined relevant information
  • Attendance: All students must attend the age- and grade-appropriate sessions.
  • Staff Training: Districts must provide staff education on bullying prevention and intervention as part of the same multi-day program; sessions may count toward the training required by the existing Anti-Bullying provisions.
  • Third-Party Facilitation: Districts may contract with a recognized bullying prevention expert to develop and administer the program.
  • Compliance and Funding: The Department of Education (DOE) may withhold all or part of a district’s state aid for noncompliance. If a district lacks necessary resources, it may apply for a grant from the Bullying Prevention Fund to support implementation.

Funding and financial provisions

  • Bullying Prevention Fund (existing in P.L.2010, c.122) would continue to operate to support bullying prevention initiatives, including grants to districts for training and related personnel expenses.
  • The bill expands the fund’s use to explicitly support grants for district-based bullying prevention program development and administration.
  • If resources within a district are insufficient, districts may seek a grant from the Bullying Prevention Fund to implement the required program.
  • No specific dollar amounts are listed in the introduced text; funding is referenced as grants and potential state aid withholding for compliance.

Affected entities

  • Primary: School districts that include grades 4–12.
  • Beneficiaries: Students in those grades and school staff.
  • Oversight: New Jersey Department of Education.
  • Providers: Third-party organizations with recognized expertise in bullying prevention (optional contractors).

Timeline and procedural notes

  • Introduced: February 19, 2025.
  • Status: Referred to Assembly Education Committee (after initial referral to Economic Development).
  • Effective date: Immediate enactment; first applying to the first full school year following enactment.

Legislative context

  • This bill amends the Bullying Prevention Fund provisions (P.L.2010, c.122) and supplements compliance requirements tied to the Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights Act (P.L.2002, c.83) by codifying a district-level, annual, multi-day program.
  • Related bills and companion measures exist (e.g., S 6234, S 4538, A 10488) in prior sessions.

Potential impact

  • Increases state-level emphasis and resources on comprehensive, district-level bullying prevention programming.
  • Improves student and staff training on recognizing, preventing, and responding to bullying and cyberbullying.
  • Establishes clear compliance expectations with potential financial penalties or aid withholding for districts that do not implement the program.
  • Encourages use of external experts to support program development and execution if districts lack internal capacity.

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

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