SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

SENATE, No. 1054

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  JUNE 20, 2024

     The Senate Education Committee favorably reports Senate Bill No. 1054.

     This bill requires boards of education to include instruction on United States and New Jersey labor history and the contributions of the labor movement. The instruction is be provided in an appropriate place in the curriculum of students in grades six through 12 as part of the school district’s implementation of the New Jersey Student Learning Standards in Social Studies.

     Under the bill, the instruction is to include, at a minimum, information on:

· the history of organized labor;

· notable strikes throughout history;

· unionization drives; and

· the collective bargaining process and existing legal protections in the workplace.

     The bill requires the Commissioner of Education to provide school districts with age-appropriate sample learning activities and resources designed to implement the instructional requirement.

      This bill was prefiled 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.