Bill Text: NJ A1539 | 2026-2027 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: "Safe Mobility Education Act"; requires public school instruction on pedestrian, cycling, and motor vehicle safety.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2)
Status: (Introduced) 2026-01-13 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Education Committee [A1539 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2026-A1539-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
222nd LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman CLINTON CALABRESE
District 36 (Bergen and Passaic)
Assemblyman ROBERT J. KARABINCHAK
District 18 (Middlesex)
SYNOPSIS
"Safe Mobility Education Act"; requires public school instruction on pedestrian, cycling, and motor vehicle safety.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Act concerning instruction on safe mobility and supplementing chapter 35 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "Safe Mobility Education Act."
2. The Legislature finds and declares that:
a. Pedestrian and cyclist injuries remain a significant cause of preventable harm to children and adults.
b. Electric scooters and electric bicycles are increasingly popular, but require responsible use and understanding of rules to ensure safety.
c. Education on safety rules and practices can significantly reduce accidents and save lives.
d. Introducing age-appropriate safety education from an early age fosters a culture of responsibility and compliance with State laws.
3. a. The State Board of Education shall, concurrent with each update to the New Jersey Student Learning Standards required pursuant to section 4 of P.L.2007, c.260 (C.18A:7F-46), adopt New Jersey Student Learning Standards in Comprehensive Health and Physical Education pertaining to pedestrian, cycling, and motor vehicle safety.
b. The content of the New Jersey Student Learning Standards required pursuant to subsection a. of this section, as age-appropriate, shall include, but not be limited to, the following information:
(1) basics on pedestrian safety;
(2) the importance of visibility and wearing appropriate equipment, such as a helmet and bright clothing;
(3) the rules of the road for bicycles, including proper hand signals, helmet use, and bicycle maintenance;
(4) safe operation of bicycles and scooters, including electric bicycles and scooters;
(5) the rights and responsibilities of cyclists and pedestrians under State law;
(6) statutory and regulatory requirements for operating a motor vehicle; and
(7) the consequences associated with violating State law, including the imposition of fines and motor vehicle violation penalty points on driving records.
c. In the first full school year following the State board's adoption of New Jersey Student Learning Standards pursuant to subsection a. of this section, a board of education shall include age-appropriate instruction on pedestrian, cycling, and motor vehicle safety in an appropriate place of the curriculum of students in grades kindergarten through 12 as part of the school district's implementation of the New Jersey Student Learning Standards in Comprehensive Health and Physical Education.
4. a. The Commissioner of Education, in consultation with the Commissioner of Transportation, shall develop a safe mobility education professional development module to ensure the effective delivery of the instruction required pursuant to section 3 of this act.
b. A teaching staff member who provides instruction required pursuant to section 3 of this act shall satisfactorily complete the safe mobility education professional development module developed pursuant to subsection a. of this section.
5. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill establishes the "Safe Mobility Education Act." The bill requires the State Board of Education to, at the next review and update to the New Jersey Student Learning Standards (NJSLS), adopt NJSLS in Comprehensive Health and Physical Education pertaining to pedestrian, cycling, and motor vehicle safety. The bill sets forth certain information, as age-appropriate, that is to be included in the content adopted by the State board pursuant to the bill. A board of education, in the first full school year following the State board's adoption of NJSLS pursuant to the provisions of the bill, is required to include the instruction in an appropriate place of the curriculum of students in grades kindergarten through 12 as part of the district's implementation of the NJSLS in Comprehensive Health and Physical Education.
The bill directs the Commissioner of Education, in consultation with the Commissioner of Transportation, to develop a safe mobility education professional development module to ensure the effective delivery of the instruction required pursuant to the provisions of the bill. A teaching staff member who provides instruction on the required curriculum is to satisfactorily complete the safe mobility education professional development module.
