ASSEMBLY EDUCATION COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

ASSEMBLY, No. 1792

with committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  OCTOBER 21, 2024

      The Assembly Education Committee reports favorably Assembly Bill No. 1792 with committee amendments.

      As amended, this bill requires the Attorney General, in consultation with the New Jersey Education and Law Enforcement Working Group, to establish a program that provides a means for the public to anonymously report information concerning unsafe, potentially harmful, dangerous, violent, or criminal activities in schools or the threat of those activities.  The program will allow students, parents, school staff, and other community members to anonymously report information through readily accessible methods such as a telephone tip line, that is staffed by trained individuals at reasonable hours each day of the week, and a mobile application.  The program is to ensure that the identity of the reporting party remains unknown, except in instances where the reporting party voluntarily discloses his or her identity and verifies that his or her identity may be shared with law enforcement officers, school officials, and employees operating the program.  The bill requires that information received through the program be promptly shared with the appropriate law enforcement agencies or school officials. 

     Under the amended bill, training will be provided to law enforcement dispatch centers, all public and nonpublic schools, and other entities determined by the Attorney General on awareness of the program and appropriate response to tips received through the program.  Proper guidelines will be provided to students regarding the procedures for reporting potential threats to school safety.  In addition, program awareness and education materials will be provided to all public and nonpublic schools in the State.        This bill also requires the Attorney General to annually prepare a report on the program that includes the following: (1) the total number of reports made to the program, disaggregated by subgroups to be determined by the Attorney General; (2) the dates, times, and means of reporting; (3) the total number of instances of misuse of the program; and (4) a summary of the outcomes and actions taken on reports made to the program.  The Attorney General is required to submit the report to the Governor and the Education Committees of the Senate and General Assembly and post the report on the Internet website of the Department of Law and Public Safety by January 1 of the year immediately following issuance of the report.

      This bill was pre-filed for introduction in the 2024-2025 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 clarify that the training provided under the program is to be given to all public and nonpublic schools.