Bill Text: NJ S3292 | 2024-2025 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: "Parents' Bill of Rights Act"; requires public school and school district provide certain information to parents and guardians and obtain parental consent prior to taking certain actions.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-05-20 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Education Committee [S3292 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2024-S3292-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Senator PARKER SPACE
District 24 (Morris, Sussex and Warren)
SYNOPSIS
"Parents' Bill of Rights Act"; requires public school and school district provide certain information to parents and guardians and obtain parental consent prior to taking certain actions.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning a parent's rights over their child's education and supplementing chapter 36 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 "Parents' Bill of Rights Act."
2. a. No public school or school district shall interfere with or deny the parent or guardian of an enrolled student the following rights:
(1) to fully review copies of the curricula, books, and other educational materials used by the public school or school district that are available to the student;
(2) to access, as permitted by law, all records generated by the public school or school district that concern the student;
(3) to access, as permitted by law, the names and professional qualifications of teachers, guest lecturers, and outside presenters who engage with students at the school the student attends;
(4) to access, as permitted by law, the names of any outside entity that collects and transmits data concerning the student by the public school or school district, including any outside entity, accreditor, marketing consultancy, or third-party clearinghouse to which student data, whether anonymized or not, is transferred;
(5) to access, as permitted by law, the names of all third-party individuals and organizations that receive contracts or other funding through the public school or school district;
(6) to be heard at school board meetings or other governance hearings pertaining to the public school or school district;
(7) to be notified, as permitted by law, of situations affecting the safety of the student at school, that include, but are not limited to, the following incidents:
(a) physical assaults occurring within 1000 feet of the school;
(b) sexual assaults occurring within 1000 feet of the school;
(c) appearances of weapons within 1000 feet of the school;
(d) drug use or possession within 1000 feet of the school;
(e) police investigations within 1000 feet of the school; and
(f) crimes, including misdemeanors, for which a teacher or other public school or school district employee have been charged, whether such offenses were committed on or off of school or district property; and
(8) to visit, as permitted by law, the student at school during school hours.
b. A public school shall, prior to the start of each school year, provide the parent or guardian of an enrolled student with the class syllabi and reading list for each class for which the student is registered.
c. No public school or school district may require a parent or guardian to sign a nondisclosure agreement as a condition of accessing curricular materials, books, or other educational materials.
d. A public school or school district shall obtain written consent from a parent or guardian of an enrolled student prior to:
(1) collecting biometric data or other sensitive personal information from the student;
(2) permitting the attendance of the student at a school assembly, field trip, or other extracurricular activity; and
(3) using videographic, photographic, or audio depictions of the student by the public school or school district.
3. a. A parent or guardian who is denied one or more of the rights identified in section 2 of this act may bring a civil action in any court of competent jurisdiction for injunctive relief.
b. If a school district or public school threatens or denies one or more of the rights identified in section 2 of this act, the Office of the Attorney General may seek an injunction against the school district or public school.
4. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill establishes the "Parents' Bill of Rights Act." The bill prohibits a public school or school district from interfering with or denying the rights of parents and guardians of enrolled students, including the right to review copies of the curricula, books, and other educational materials used by the public school or school district that are available to the student; the right to access, as permitted by law, all records generated by the public school or school district that concern the student, the names and professional qualifications of teachers, guest lecturers, and outside presenters who engage with students at the school attended by the student, the names of any outside entity that collects and transmits data concerning the student by the public school or school district, and the names of all third-party individuals and organizations that receive contracts or other funding through the public school or school district; the right to be heard at school board meetings or other governance hearings pertaining to the public school or school district; the right to be notified, as permitted by law, of certain situations affecting the safety of the student at school; and the right, as permitted by law, to visit the student at school during school hours.
Under the bill, a public school is required, prior to the start of each school year, to provide the parent or guardian of an enrolled student with the class syllabi and reading list for each class for which the student is registered. The bill prohibits public schools and school districts from requiring a parent or guardian to sign a nondisclosure agreement as a condition of accessing curricular materials, books, or other educational materials. The bill also requires public schools and school districts to obtain written consent from a parent or guardian of an enrolled student prior to collecting biometric data or other sensitive personal information from the student; prior to permitting the attendance of the student at a school assembly, field trip, or other extracurricular activity; and prior to using videographic, photographic, or audio depictions of the student by the public school or school district.
The bill provides that a parent or guardian who is denied one or more of the rights identified under the provisions of the bill may bring a civil action in any court of competent jurisdiction for injunctive relief. The bill also provides the Office of the Attorney General with the authority to seek an injunction against the public school or school district if the school or district threatens or denies one or more of the rights identified in the bill.
