New Jersey’s Anti-Bullying Task Force will host two public hearings to provide families, students, educators and other stakeholders an opportunity to share their experiences regarding the implementation of the Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights Act in New Jersey schools, according to the New Jersey Department of Education’s website.
The NJDOE also released a news release highlighting the public hearings.
An in-person meeting will be held Wednesday, Oct. 4, 2023, from 5 to 7 p.m. at the New Jersey Department of Education building, 100 Riverview Plaza, Trenton. A second meeting will be virtual and will take place Oct. 5, 2023, from 5 to 7 p.m., via Microsoft Teams. A link will be emailed to registrants prior to the hearing.
Individuals who are interested in providing public testimony must register for one of the meetings in advance. The deadline to register is Oct. 2.
Individuals can also register by scanning the QR code provided on this flyer.
Speakers will be allotted three minutes to share their remarks. All participants are encouraged to bring or email copies of their testimony, which can be submitted via email. Individuals who are unable to attend either the in-person or virtual public hearings may also submit written testimony by emailing the same address: ABTF2023@doe.nj.gov.
In 2019, New Jersey enacted a law stablishing a task force for the purpose of examining, evaluating and making recommendations regarding the implementation of the “Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights Act.” The act noted, “It shall be the duty of the task force to study and evaluate the current implementation of the ‘Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights Act,’ to identify areas for improvement, and to make recommendations regarding any appropriate changes or updates to the law or regulations implementing the law.” In the course of its work, the task force will:
- Examine and evaluate the effectiveness of the implementation of the “Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights Act” in schools.
- Examine any unintended consequences resulting from implementation of the law and the regulations promulgated pursuant to it, including, but not limited to, impacts of the law on athletic coaches.
- Present any recommendations deemed necessary and appropriate to modify or update the law and its implementing regulations.
Upon the completion of its work, the task force will issue a final report of its findings and recommendations to the governor and the Legislature.
HIB Resources
New Jersey has been a leader in the establishment of a strong statutory, regulatory policy and program framework to support the prevention, remediation and reporting of HIB in schools.
The NJDOE provides an array of information and resources to aid schools in the establishment of HIB policies, the adoption of HIB program strategies, the implementation of proactive responses to HIB and the adoption of effective HIB reporting procedures on this webpage.
For questions pertaining to your school district HIB policy, contact the district anti-bullying coordinator or the anti-bullying specialist in your school.
For questions pertaining to the ABR or regulations/requirements related to HIB, contact the Office of Student Support Services at hib@doe.nj.gov or call 609- 376-9109.
