Bill Text: NJ A5133 | 2026-2027 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Establishes grant program to support costs of presentations on risks of nicotine and vaping in public schools; appropriates $500,000.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2)
Status: (Introduced) 2026-05-28 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Education Committee [A5133 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2026-A5133-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman ANTHONY ANGELOZZI
District 8 (Atlantic and Burlington)
Assemblywoman CAROL A. MURPHY
District 7 (Burlington)
SYNOPSIS
Establishes grant program to support costs of presentations on risks of nicotine and vaping in public schools; appropriates $500,000.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning nicotine and vaping awareness in public schools and supplementing Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. The Commissioner of Education shall establish a program to provide grants to public schools to cover costs related to hiring qualified speakers to deliver educational presentations at student assemblies concerning the health risks, addictive properties, and dangers associated with the use of nicotine pouches and vaping devices. Individuals hired to deliver educational presentations with grant funds awarded pursuant to this section shall have demonstrated expertise in the areas of adolescent health, nicotine addiction, or behavioral science.
b. A public school that wishes to participate in the program shall submit an application to the commissioner in a manner and form determined by the commissioner.
c. The commissioner shall develop criteria for the evaluation of grant applications. Based on these criteria, and within the limit of appropriations and any other funds available for the purposes of the program, the commissioner shall allocate to each selected public school a grant in an amount as determined by the commissioner.
d. To the maximum extent practicable, the commissioner shall select a cross-section of public schools from the northern, central, and southern regions of the State and a cross-section of public schools from urban, suburban, and rural areas.
2. There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Education the sum of $500,000 to effectuate the purposes of this act.
3. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill requires the Commissioner of Education to establish a program to provide grants to public schools to cover costs related to hiring qualified speakers to deliver educational presentations at student assemblies concerning the health risks, addictive properties, and dangers associated with the use of nicotine pouches and vaping devices.
Under the bill, a public school that wishes to participate in the program would submit an application to the commissioner in a manner and form determined by the commissioner. The commissioner would develop criteria for the evaluation of grant applications. Based on these criteria, and within the limit of available funds, the commissioner would allocate to each selected public school a grant in an amount as determined by the commissioner. To the maximum extent practicable, the commissioner is required to select a cross-section of public schools from the northern, central, and southern regions of the State and a cross-section of public schools from urban, suburban, and rural areas.
Finally, the bill appropriates $500,000 to the Department of Education for the purposes of the grant program.
