ASSEMBLY, No. 488

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 1996 SESSION

By Assemblywoman VANDERVALK

An Act concerning bilingual education and amending P.L.1974, c.197.

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

    1. Section 4 of P.L.1974, c.197 (C.18A:35-18) is amended to read as follows:

    4. When, at the beginning of any school year, there are within the schools of the district [20 or more] pupils of limited English-speaking ability in any one language classification, the board of education [shall] may establish, for each such classification, a program in bilingual education for all the pupils therein[; provided, however, that a board of education may establish a program in bilingual education for any language classification with less than 20 children therein].

(cf: P.L.1974, c.197, s.4)

    2. This act shall take effect on July 1 next following the date of enactment.

STATEMENT

    This bill makes permissive, rather than mandatory, the establishment of a program in bilingual education by a board of education.

Makes establishment of bilingual education program permissive rather than mandatory.