ASSEMBLY STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR

ASSEMBLY, No. 1995

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  OCTOBER 19, 2020

      The Assembly State and Local Government Committee reports favorably the Assembly Committee Substitute for Assembly Bill No. 1995.

      The committee substitute would require that international student exchange visitor placement organizations register with the Secretary of State.  An international student exchange visitor placement organization is defined as an entity that regularly arranges the placement of international student exchange visitors for the purpose of allowing the student an opportunity to attend school in the United States.  Under the substitute, an international student is a person 18 years of age or under, or up to 21 years of age if enrolled in high school, placed by an international student exchange visitor placement organization, who enters the United States with a nonimmigrant visa.  These organizations are overseen at the federal level by the United States Department of State.

     Under the substitute, to be eligible for registration, an international student exchange visitor placement organization must:

     (1) be in compliance with United States Department of State regulations on exchange visitor programs at 22 C.F.R. s.62.1 through 62.17, and at 22 C.F.R. 62.25, or be certified by the Council of Standards for International Educational Travel and be listed on the council’s Advisory List of International Educational Travel and Exchange Programs; and

     (2)  present to the secretary current credentials from the United States Department of State or the Council of Standards for International Educational Travel that attest to such compliance.

     The Secretary of State would annually provide to the Commissioner of Education a list of all registered international student exchange visitor placement organizations; and the commissioner will annually distribute the list to all school districts.