ASSEMBLY, No. 659

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 1996 SESSION

By Assemblyman ZECKER

An Act concerning the observance of a moment of silence in the public schools, supplementing chapter 36 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes and repealing P.L.1982, c.205.

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

    1. At the commencement of the first class each day in each public elementary and secondary school the teacher in charge of each classroom shall direct a period of silence, not to exceed one minute, for meditation or introspection, and during this period silence shall be maintained.

    2. P.L.1982, c.205 (C. 18A:36-4) is hereby repealed.

    3. This act shall take effect immediately.

                                                STATEMENT

    This bill requires all teachers in charge of the first class of the day in elementary and secondary public schools to direct a period of silence for one minute for meditation or introspection. During this one minute period silence must be maintained. The bill is conceived with the idea of serving the educational purpose of allowing teachers and students a moment to collect one’s thoughts prior to engaging in the work day. This is in contrast to N.J.S.A. 18A:36-4 which provides for a moment of silence in the public schools but was associated with a religious purpose and found unconstitutional in May v. Cooperman, 780 F.2d 240 (3rd. Cir. 1985). The bill would repeal N.J.S.A. 18A:36-4.

Require the observance of a moment of silence in school.