SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

SENATE, No. 713

with committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  MARCH 7, 2022

      The Senate Education Committee favorably reports Senate Bill No. 713 with committee amendments.

     As amended, this bill requires school districts to include age-appropriate instruction on the events of September 11, 2001 in the curriculum of elementary, middle, and high school students as part of the district’s implementation of the New Jersey Student Learning Standards in Social Studies. Under the bill, the instruction will provide students with information on:

· the historical context of the attack;

· a timeline of the day as the events unfolded;

· the heroic actions of the police, firefighters, paramedics, and other first responders in the rescue and recovery of the victims, and the heroic sacrifice of the passengers of United Airlines Flight 93; and

· the outpouring of humanitarian, charitable, and volunteer assistance and support that occurred immediately following the events of that day, and strategies for successfully instilling those traits in daily life.

     The bill also requires each public school to annually organize a commemorative event that will enhance student awareness of the events of September 11, 2001. In addition to providing students with information concerning the events of September 11, 2001, the event will provide students with age-appropriate opportunities for discussion on conflict resolution, diversity, and tolerance for people of different religions and cultures.

      This bill was pre-filed for introduction in the 2022-2023 session pending technical review. As reported, the bill includes the changes required by technical review, which has been performed.

COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS:

      The committee amended the bill to provide that the requirements of the bill would take effect immediately and first apply to the first full school year following the date of enactment. The committee also amended the bill to require school districts to annually hold commemorative events to enhance student awareness of the events of September 11, 2001. The bill as introduced required school districts to hold school assemblies to commemorate the events of September 11, 2001.