An Act concerning the provision of grief instruction in public schools 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:
C.18A:35-4.45 New Jersey Student Learning Standards, Comprehensive Health and Physical Education, grief.
1. a. The State Board of Education shall adopt New Jersey Student Learning Standards in Comprehensive Health and Physical Education pertaining to grief.
b. A school district shall include instruction on grief in an appropriate place in the curriculum of students in grades eight through 12 as part of the district’s implementation of the New Jersey Student Learning Standards in Comprehensive Health and Physical Education.
c. The instruction shall include, at a minimum, information on:
(1) the physical, emotional, and behavioral symptoms of grief;
(2) coping mechanisms and techniques for handling grief and loss; and
(3) resources available to students, including in-school support, mental health crisis support, and individual and group therapy.
d. The Commissioner of Education shall provide school districts with age-appropriate resources concerning grief.
C.18A:35-4.46 Standards adopted, New Jersey Student Learning Standards updates, concurrent.
2. This act shall take effect immediately. The standards adopted by the State Board of Education pursuant to section 1 of P.L.2023, c.201 (C.18A:35-4.45) shall occur 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).
Approved January 4, 2024.