Sponsored by:
Assemblyman RONALD S. DANCER
District 12 (Burlington, Middlesex, Monmouth and Ocean)
SYNOPSIS
Prohibits school districts from declaring as absent child performers who meet certain criteria.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning school absences of child performers and supplementing chapter 38 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. As used in this act:
“Child performer” means any child under the age of 18 who is required to attend school under applicable provisions of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes, resides in the State of New Jersey, and agrees to engage in professional employment.
“Professional employment” means employment for pay as an actor or performer in a theatrical production.
“Theatrical production” means and includes stage, motion picture, and television performances and rehearsals therefor.
2. a. A school district in which a child performer is enrolled shall not record a child performer as absent from school while engaging in professional employment in New Jersey or in another state if the following conditions are met:
(1) the child performer is in compliance with applicable labor laws and educational requirements for child performers of the state in which the child performer is employed; and
(2) the child performer receives educational instruction from a certified teacher provided by the child’s employer or otherwise receives equivalent instruction approved by the Department of Education while the child is engaged in professional employment and not attending his school of enrollment due to his employment schedule.
b. A school district in which a child performer is enrolled may require evidence that the child is satisfactorily meeting the conditions of subsection a. of this section.
c. A child performer receiving instruction as described in paragraph (2) of subsection a. of this section, and the child’s parents or guardians, shall work with the teacher provided by the child’s employer and the child’s school of enrollment to fulfill all applicable educational requirements. The child performer’s school of enrollment shall maintain involvement in the child’s education while the child is engaging in professional employment, which shall include, but need not be limited to, providing lesson plans and curriculum guidelines to the teacher provided by the child’s employer and reviewing assignments completed by the child.
d. Nothing in this section shall limit the authority of a school district, in conjunction with the Department of Education and the parents or guardians of a child performer, to develop alternative methods by which a child performer may satisfy his educational requirements at times outside the normal school day.
3. The State Board of Education shall promulgate regulations pursuant to the “Administrative Procedure Act,” P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), necessary to effectuate the provisions of this act.
4. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill provides that a school district shall not record a child performer as absent from school while the child is engaging in professional employment in New Jersey or in another state if: (1) the child performer is in compliance with applicable labor laws and educational requirements for child performers of the state in which the child performer is employed; and (2) the child performer receives educational instruction from a certified teacher provided by the child’s employer or otherwise receives equivalent instruction approved by the Department of Education while the child is engaged in professional employment and not attending his school of enrollment due to his employment schedule. Under the bill, a child performer is any child under the age of 18 who resides in New Jersey, is required to attend school under New Jersey law, and agrees to engage in professional employment for pay as an actor or performer in a theatrical production. Theatrical production includes stage, motion picture, and television performances, and rehearsals for those performances.
The bill requires that a child performer and his parents or guardians work with the teacher provided by the child’s employer and with the child’s school of enrollment to fulfill all applicable educational requirements. The bill directs the child performer’s school of enrollment to maintain involvement in the child’s education while the child is engaging in professional employment. The involvement must include, but need not be limited to, providing lesson plans and curriculum guidelines to the teacher provided by the child’s employer and reviewing assignments completed by the child.