ASSEMBLY, No. 1167

 

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

 

Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel

 

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 1996 SESSION

 

 

By Assemblymen COHEN and GREEN

 

 

An Act concerning pupils and supplementing Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes.

 

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

 

    1. a. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, any teaching staff member, principal or other educational personnel of any public school in this State who has reasonable grounds to believe that a pupil may have committed an act which if committed by an adult would constitute a criminal offense shall immediately notify the parent or guardian and the local law enforcement agency.

    b. No teaching staff member, principal or other educational personnel who has reasonable grounds to believe that a pupil may have committed an act which if committed by an adult would constitute a criminal offense shall conduct any strip search or body cavity search of the pupil under any circumstances.

 

    2. This act shall take effect immediately.

 

 

STATEMENT

 

    This bill would clarify the procedures when a school official has reasonable grounds to believe that a pupil has committed a criminal offense.

    The bill would require any teaching staff member, principal or other educational personnel who has reasonable grounds to believe that a pupil may have committed an act which committed by an adult would constitute a criminal offense to immediately notify the parent or guardian of the pupil and the local law enforcement agency.

    The bill also makes it clear that no teaching staff member, principal or other educational personnel is authorized to conduct any strip searches or body cavity searches of the pupil under any circumstances.


 

Clarifies certain procedures concerning pupils; prohibits strip and body cavity searches of pupils.