ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR

ASSEMBLY, No. 1995

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

219th LEGISLATURE

ADOPTED OCTOBER 19, 2020

Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman  NANCY J. PINKIN

District 18 (Middlesex)

Assemblywoman  JOANN DOWNEY

District 11 (Monmouth)

SYNOPSIS

     Requires registration of international student exchange visitor placement organizations with Secretary of State.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

     Substitute as adopted by the Assembly State and Local Government Committee.

An Act concerning the placement of international students in public schools and supplementing Title 52 of the Revised Statutes.

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

     1.  As used in P.L.    , c.      (C.     ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill):

     “International student exchange visitor” or “student” means a person 18 years of age or under, or up to age 21 if enrolled or to be enrolled in high school in this State, placed by an international student exchange visitor placement organization, who enters the United States with a nonimmigrant visa.

     “International student exchange visitor placement organization” or “organization” means a person, partnership, corporation, school, or other entity that regularly arranges the placement of international student exchange visitors for the purpose, in whole or in part, of allowing the student an opportunity to attend school in the United States.

     “Secretary” means the Secretary of State of New Jersey.

     2.    a.  An international student exchange visitor placement organization that places students in public schools in the State shall register with the Secretary of State.  To be eligible for registration, an international student exchange visitor placement organization shall:

     (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.

     b.  Registration with the secretary shall not be considered or represented as an endorsement of the organization by the secretary or by the State.  Information provided to the secretary pursuant to P.L.      , c.      (C.     ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill) is a public record.

     c.    The secretary shall annually provide to the Commissioner of Education a list of all registered international student exchange visitor placement organizations.  The commissioner shall annually distribute the list to all school districts.

     d.    A person who fails to register as required pursuant to P.L.      , c.      (C.     ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill) is guilty of a misdemeanor.

     3.    The Secretary of State shall adopt rules and regulations pursuant to the “Administrative Procedures Act,” P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), necessary to implement the provisions of P.L.      , c.      (C.     ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).

     4.    This act shall take effect 180 days following the date of enactment except that the Secretary of State may immediately take such anticipatory action as may be required to implement the provisions of this act.