Another Lame Duck is in the books, and with it, the end of the 2022/2023 Legislature. Any bills that were not signed into law will now have to be reintroduced, and start the process all over again. On January 16th 2024, the final day for the Governor to take action on bills sent to him during the 2022/2023 Legislative Session, Governor Murphy signed the following bills into law:
Promotes Manufacturing Career Pathways for Students
S-659/A-2014 (Oroho, Greenstein/Conaway, Wirths, Umba) – “Manufacturing in Higher Education Act”; requires various State entities to promote manufacturing career pathways for students and provides assistance to manufacturing industry P.L.2023, c.268
Requires Report Regarding Suicide Prevention Instruction in Public Schools
S-1662/A-3526 (Ruiz, Codey/Lampitt, Benson, Sauickie) – Requires NJ Youth Suicide Prevention Advisory Council to prepare report regarding suicide prevention instruction in public schools P.L.2023, c.270
Establishes “Twelfth Grade Postsecondary Transition Year Pilot Program” in NJDOE
S-2076/A-3319 (Zwicker, Greenstein/McKnight, Lampitt) – Establishes “Twelfth Grade Postsecondary Transition Year Pilot Program” in Department of Education P.L.2023, c.272
S-3080/A-398 (Ruiz, Burgess/Caputo, Giblin, Tucker) – Establishes position of Youth Disconnection Prevention and Recovery Ombudsperson; establishes “School Disconnection Prevention Task Force”; appropriates $200,000 P.L.2023, c.277
Addresses Type II School District School Budget Elections
S-4209/A-5879 (Sarlo/Pintor Marin) – Eliminates vote on school budgets for Type II school districts in April elections, except for separate proposals to spend above cap P.L.2023, c.289
Extends Deadline for Completion of School District’s Annual Audit
A-4033/S-2657 (Coughlin, Wimberly/Sarlo, Ruiz) – Extends deadline for completion of school district’s annual audit P.L.2023, c.305
Revises the NJ Schools Development Authority
A-4496/S-3247 (Coughlin, Lampitt, Karabinchak, Wimberly/Zwicker, Greenstein) – Revises various provisions of law governing construction of school facilities projects and operations of New Jersey Schools Development Authority; establishes “Charter School and Renaissance School Project Facilities Loan Program” in EDA P.L.2023, c.311
Removes Expected Family Contribution (EFC) from Financial Need
A-4814/S-1023 (Moen, Wimberly/Singleton, Gopal) – Removes expected family contribution from calculation of financial need under circumstances in which public institutions of higher education may reduce student’s institutional financial aid P.L.2023, c.317
Concerns NJ Civic Information Consortium
A-5293/S-3746 (Greenwald, McKnight, Rooney/Gopal, Ruiz) – Concerns New Jersey Civic Information Consortium P.L.2023, c.323
Establishes Nonpublic School Transportation Program
A-5412/S-3850 (Greenwald, Swain, Jasey/Gopal, Singer) – Establishes nonpublic school transportation program to provide funding to consortiums of nonpublic schools that will assume responsibility for mandated nonpublic school busing P.L.2023, c.326
Alternate Route to Teacher Certification for Paraprofessionals
A-5416/S-3883 (Wimberly, Giblin, Haider/Greenstein, Turner) – Requires State Board of Education to authorize alternate route to expedite teacher certification of persons employed as paraprofessionals in school district P.L.2023, c.327
Governor Murphy pocket vetoed the following bills:
Lame duck brings with it a number of unique legislative processes. Among them is the Governor’s power to “pocket veto” bills. This type of veto applies to bills sent to the governor’s desk in the final 10 days of a legislative session. Any bill that the Governor does not sign within seven days of the end of a session, those bills are vetoed. The deadline for Governor Murphy to either sign or pocket veto bills from the 2022/2023 Legislative Session was January 16th at 12 Noon. Governor Murphy pocket vetoed three education related bills. These bills are now dead. Their legislative sponsors can reintroduce them in this new session.
Establishes Teacher Certification Route for Candidates with Montessori Credentials
S-3172/A-4689 (Gopal, Turner/Lampitt, Matsikoudis, McKnight) – Establishes teacher certification route for candidates with Montessori teaching credentials Pocket Veto
Establishes “Male Teachers of Color Mentorship Pilot Program”
A-3945/S-1660 (Quijano, Reynolds-Jackson, Carter/Ruiz, Singleton) – Establishes “Male Teachers of Color Mentorship Pilot Program”; appropriates $95,000 Pocket Veto
Establishes Timeline for Review of Annual Audits by APSSDs
A-4396/S-2927 (Lampitt, Jasey, Caputo/Codey) – Establishes timelines for review and approval by Commissioner of Education of annual certified audits submitted by approved private schools for students with disabilities Pocket Veto