A5476

An Act concerning training to recognize and respond to indications of intoxication in children from the consumption of a cannabis item, and supplementing Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes, P.L.1983, c.492 (C.30:5B-1 et seq.), and Title 26 of the Revised Statutes.

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

1. a. No later than 180 days following the enactment of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), the Commissioner of Education, in consultation with the Cannabis Regulatory Commission, the Commissioner of Children and Families, the Commissioner of Health, and the Assistant Commissioner of the Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services in the Department of Human Services, shall develop an inservice training program to enable teachers, teaching staff members, and other school employees that have regular contact with students, including those working in before- and after-school programs, to recognize and respond to indications of intoxication in students arising from the consumption of any cannabis item, as defined in section 3 of P.L.2021, c.16 (C.24:6I-33). The training program shall, at a minimum, include:

(1) instruction to assist in the identification of the symptoms and behavioral patterns which might indicate that a student may have consumed a cannabis item; and

(2) emergency response and reporting protocols in the event that a student is intoxicated arising from the consumption of a cannabis item.

b. The inservice training program required pursuant to this section shall be updated at regular intervals to reflect the most current information available.

c. Each board of education shall ensure that all teachers, teaching staff members, and school employees that have regular contact with students are provided with the inservice training developed pursuant to this section.

2. No later than 180 days following the enactment of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), the Commissioner of Children and Families, in consultation with the Cannabis Regulatory Commission, the Commissioner of Education, the Commissioner of Health, and the Assistant Commissioner of the Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services in the Department of Human Services, shall develop a training program to enable employees of licensed child care centers to recognize and respond to indications of intoxication in children arising from the consumption of any cannabis item, as defined in section 3 of P.L.2021, c.16 (C.24:6I-33). The training program shall, at a minimum, include:

(1) instruction to assist in the identification of the symptoms and behavioral patterns which might indicate that a child may have consumed a cannabis item; and

(2) emergency response and reporting protocols in the event that a child is intoxicated arising from the consumption of a cannabis item.

b. The training program required pursuant to this section shall be updated at regular intervals to reflect the most current information available.

c. Each licensed child care center shall ensure that all employees caring for children are provided with the training program developed pursuant to this section.

3. No later than 180 days following the enactment of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), the Commissioner of Health, in consultation with the Cannabis Regulatory Commission, the Commissioner of Education, the Commissioner of Children and Families, and the Assistant Commissioner of the Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services in the Department of Human Services, shall develop a training program to enable the employees of each youth camp as defined in section 3 of P.L.1973, c.375 (C.26:12-3), recreation center, and faith-based youth program to recognize and respond to indications of intoxication in children arising from the consumption of any cannabis item, as defined in section 3 of P.L.2021, c.16 (C.24:6I-33). The training program shall, at a minimum, include:

(1) instruction to assist in the identification of the symptoms and behavioral patterns which might indicate that a child may have consumed a cannabis item; and

(2) emergency response and reporting protocols in the event that a child is intoxicated arising from the consumption of a cannabis item.

b. The training program required pursuant to this section shall be updated at regular intervals to reflect the most current information available.

c. Each youth camp, recreation center, and faith-based program shall ensure that all employees caring for children are provided with the training program developed pursuant to this section.

4. This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

This bill requires employees of public schools, licensed child care centers, youth camps, recreation centers, and faith-based youth programs to undergo training to recognize and respond to indications of intoxication in children from the consumption of a cannabis item.

No later than 180 days following the enactment of the bill, the Commissioner of Education, the Commissioner of Children and Families, and the Commissioner of Health would each be required to consult with each other, as well as with the Cannabis Regulatory Commission and the Assistant Commissioner of the of the Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services in the Department of Human Services, to develop a training program for employees in settings under each commissioner’s area of jurisdiction.

The inservice training program required to be developed by the Commissioner of Education would enable teachers, teaching staff members, and employees that have regular contact with students, including those working in before- and after-school programs, to recognize and respond to indications of intoxication in students arising from the consumption of any cannabis item. The training program would be required to include, at a minimum: (1) instruction to assist in the identification of the symptoms and behavioral patterns which might indicate that a child may have consumed a cannabis item; and (2) emergency response and reporting protocols in the event that a student is intoxicated arising from the consumption of a cannabis item.

Under the bill, corresponding training programs would be required to be developed by (1) the Commissioner or Children and Families to train employees of licensed child care centers; and (2) the Commissioner of Health to train employees of youth camps, recreation centers, and faith-based youth programs.