SENATE COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR

SENATE, Nos. 2498 and 2505

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

221st LEGISLATURE

ADOPTED OCTOBER 7, 2024

Sponsored by:

Senator  M. TERESA RUIZ

District 29 (Essex and Hudson)

Senator  SHIRLEY K. TURNER

District 15 (Hunterdon and Mercer)

Senator  ANGELA V. MCKNIGHT

District 31 (Hudson)

Co-Sponsored by:

Senators O'Scanlon and Diegnan

SYNOPSIS

     Requires Commissioner of Education to establish and maintain educator common application and web portal.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

     Substitute as adopted by the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee.

An Act concerning employment opportunities in public schools and supplementing chapter 6 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes.

Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

     1.    a.  The Commissioner of Education shall establish and maintain an educator common application and web portal.  The web portal shall allow candidates who have been issued a certificate necessary to seek employment in a public school, including a substitute teacher credential, to submit a single common application to apply for employment at the public schools of the State. 

     b.    The common application and web portal established pursuant to subsection a. of this section shall:

     (1)   maximize the ability of educators to connect with public schools that have employment openings; 

     (2)   increase the degree of information sharing regarding employment opportunities for educators; and 

     (3)   maintain high standards for data privacy and security.

     c.     The commissioner may contract with a private vendor to effectuate the purposes of this section.

     d.    The commissioner may reconstruct an existing Internet website or web portal operated by the Department of Education to meet the requirements established pursuant to subsection a. of this section. 

     e.     Nothing in this section shall be construed to prevent a school district or public school employer from using its own application process or web portal or from requiring additional materials from applicants who apply for employment using the common application and web portal established pursuant to this section. 

     2.    This act shall take effect on the first day of the eighth month next following the date of enactment, except that the commissioner may take any anticipatory action necessary to effectuate the purposes of this act.