ASSEMBLY EDUCATION COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

[First Reprint]

ASSEMBLY, No. 4639

with committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  DECEMBER 18, 2025

      The Assembly Education Committee reports favorably and with committee amendments Assembly Bill No. 4639 (1R).

      As amended, this bill requires a board of education of a school district and a board of trustees of a charter school or renaissance school project that utilizes a surveillance system, including a video surveillance system, x-ray machine, or body scanner, with artificial intelligence capabilities to adopt a policy regarding the use of the surveillance system.

      Under this bill, the policy, at a minimum, is required to: (1) include information on the surveillance system installed by the district; (2) identify the type of information that would be collected through the surveillance system; (3) include information on how the board plans to utilize the information obtained through the surveillance system; (4) address the board’s plan to provide access to the information obtained through the surveillance system, in compliance with State and federal law governing student records and the provisions of the Uniform State Memorandum of Agreement Between Education and Law Enforcement Officials; and (5) require the board to post signage in a prominent, public place in buildings and on school grounds where the surveillance system may be used.  The signage is required to indicate that a surveillance system with artificial intelligence capabilities is in use in the building or on the school grounds.

      The bill clarifies that the policy adopted by the board of education of a school district or board of trustees of a charter school or renaissance school project that utilizes a video surveillance system is to comply with current law that requires the establishment of a memorandum of understanding between the board of education and law enforcement in regard to video surveillance equipment that is capable of streaming live videos wirelessly to remote locations.

      Additionally, a board of education that is required to establish a policy under this bill would distribute the policy to the parents and guardians of students within the district.

COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS:

      The committee amended the bill to:

· clarify that the provisions of the bill apply to the board of trustees of a charter school and renaissance school project;

· expand applicability of the bill’s provisions to a board that utilizes a surveillance system, including a video surveillance system, x-ray machine, or body scanner, with artificial intelligence capabilities;

· remove a provision in the bill that required a board to include information on the benefits and challenges of utilizing its surveillance system, in its policy regarding the system;

· add a definition of artificial intelligence;

· update the title of the bill; and

· make technical corrections regarding punctuation in the bill.