Legislative Update: Governor Signs Bus Driver Bill Following Conditional Veto; Other Bills Advance

The following provides a summary of noteworthy education-related activity at the State House over the past week.

Signed by the Governor

Alleviating Bus Driver Shortages A-2180/S-3000 (P.L.2024, c.81) was signed by Gov. Phil Murphy following his conditional veto of the original bill last month.

Prior to the governor’s veto, the bill would have created a new “Type S School Bus Certificate” to be issued by the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission. The certificate would have authorized a person to operate a Type S school bus to transport children to and from school without obtaining a commercial driver’s license, passenger endorsement, or school bus endorsement. Type S buses are smaller vehicles that can transport up to nine passengers, excluding the driver. The New Jersey School Boards Association strongly supported the bill.

As signed, the new law will expand existing statute, which currently allows school personnel to transport students to school-related activities, to permit school personnel to transport students to and from school. Vehicles used to transport students must have a capacity of eight passengers or less, excluding the driver. Drivers will have to meet various age, driving, physical, training and background check requirements.

The NJSBA will continue to work with the Legislature to find solutions to ease the ongoing bus driver shortage in New Jersey.

Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee

The Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee met Monday, Oct. 7, and advanced the following bills affecting New Jersey school districts:

Work Readiness Training Incentives S-2306, titled the “New Jersey Works Act,” would incentivize businesses to establish pre-employment and work readiness training programs together with institutions of higher education, comprehensive high schools, vocational schools or nonprofit organizations. Under the bill, a business may receive a credit against the corporation business tax or gross income tax for 100% of the financial assistance provided to support a qualified pre-employment and work readiness training program approved by the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development. For programs that include students enrolled in secondary education school-sponsored work-based learning experiences, DOLWD would be required to consult with the New Jersey Department of Education.

The New Jersey School Boards Association supports the bill, which now heads to the Senate floor. Its counterpart in the Assembly, A-2369, was advanced in committee earlier this year and is also awaiting a floor vote.

Instruction on History and Contributions of Latino and Hispanic Americans S-2335/S-3096 would require the State Board of Education to adopt New Jersey Student Learning Standards in Social Studies on Latino and Hispanic American history at its next scheduled update of those content area standards. A board of education must include this instruction – which is to be historically accurate, culturally relevant, community-based, contemporary and developmentally appropriate – in an appropriate place in the curriculum of students in grades K-12. The commissioner of education, in consultation with the Commission on Latino and Hispanic Heritage, would be required to provide school districts with sample learning activities and resources to support the implementation of these standards.

The NJSBA supports the combined bill, which now heads to the Senate floor. Its counterpart in the Assembly, A-3871, has not yet moved.

Common Applications and Web Portals for Educators S-2498/S-2505 would require the NJDOE to establish – or contract with a private vendor to establish – a web portal for educators, including substitute teachers, to submit common applications for employment at a New Jersey public school. The portal would be designed to maintain high standards for data privacy and security while increasing information sharing about employment opportunities. The bill would not prevent a school district or public school employer from using its own application process or web portal, or from requiring additional materials from applicants who apply using the NJDOE’s common application and web portal.

The NJSBA supports the combined bill, which now heads to the Senate floor.

Public-Private Energy Partnerships S-3415, titled the “Energy Infrastructure Public-Private Partnership Act,” would permit private entities to propose to public-private partnership eligible entities certain energy-related projects through a public-private partnership agreement. A board of education is included in the bill’s definition of a public-private partnership eligible entity. The bill would create an Energy Infrastructure Public-Private Partnership Program, which would be responsible for the formulation and execution of a comprehensive statewide policy for public-private partnership agreements that facilitate the development of energy-related projects. The bill would also create the Energy Infrastructure Financing Program, which would provide loans and other forms of financial assistance to public-private partnership eligible entities that are parties to these agreements to develop and finance energy-related projects pursuant to the bill.

The NJSBA is monitoring the bill. Its counterpart in the Assembly, A-4591, has not yet moved.

To view the full text of any of the bills summarized above, please visit the New Jersey Legislature’s website.