ASSEMBLY, No. 1278
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 1996 SESSION
By Assemblyman COLLINS
An Act creating a State program for agricultural vocational education and supplementing chapter 54 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. The Legislature of the State of New Jersey recognizes that agriculture is a basic and important industry in the State; that agriculture is of central importance to the welfare and economic stability of the State; and that the maintenance of this vital industry requires a continued source of trained and qualified individuals for employment in agriculture and agribusiness.
b. The Legislature declares that it is within the best interests of the people of the State that a comprehensive vocational education program in agriculture shall be created and maintained by the State's public school system in order to ensure an adequate supply of trained and skilled individuals and to ensure appropriate representation of racial and ethnic groups in all phases of the industry.
c. It is the intent of the Legislature to encourage the inclusion of a State program for agricultural education in the curriculum of the State public school system and make this program readily available to all school districts.
d. Although this act does not create any new mandates, it is the intent of the Legislature that school districts are strongly advised to follow the guidelines set forth in this act.
2. There is created in the State Department of Education a Bureau of Agricultural Vocational Education to assist school districts in the establishment and maintenance of educational programs in agriculture. The bureau shall provide services such as, but not limited to, development and dissemination of curriculum materials, teacher training, and consultative services to local school districts.
3. The Bureau of Agricultural Vocational Education shall be under the immediate supervision of a director who shall be appointed by the commissioner. The director is responsible for the administration of this State program throughout the public school system and assuring that the program complies with the requirements of federally assisted vocational education.
4. a. Any decrease in federal assistance to vocational education in this State shall be applied to this bureau in the same proportion as all other programs so funded.
b. The staff of the bureau shall include an appropriate number of program specialists in vocational agricultural education. To the extent it is possible, program specialists shall be geographically located in those areas most readily accessible to the school districts they assist. At least one program specialist shall be responsibile for the coordination of the State program. At least one program specialist shall be responsible for the coordination of the activities of the student agricultural organization known as the New Jersey Association of Future Farmers of America.
c. The department shall staff the bureau in compliance with this act by reassigning priorities in staff assignments within the department so that no new costs to the State are incurred.
5. The commissioner shall establish and convene an advisory council of agriculturalists who are representative of the various and diverse areas of the agricultural industry in New Jersey. The commissioner shall appoint members to this council in consultation with the State Secretary of Agriculture. This council shall develop recommendations for State programs in agricultural vocational education for presentation to the Governor and the Legislature for their review and to the State Board of Education for its approval and adoption. Recommendations shall include, but not be limited to, the development of a curriculum and a strategy for the purpose of establishing a source of trained and qualified individuals in agriculture, a strategy for encouraging the inclusion of the State program in vocational agricultural education in the curriculum throughout the State public school system, and a consumer education outreach strategy regarding the importance of agriculture in New Jersey. The advisory council shall serve without compensation.
6. The Commissioner of the State Department of Education shall adopt rules and regulations that are necessary to implement the provisions of this act in accordance with the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.).
7. Nothing in this act or in the rules and regulations adopted pursuant thereto shall condition the receipt of any federal or State funds by a school district upon the inclusion of the vocational agricultural education program in its curriculum.
8. This act shall take effect on the 90th day following enactment.
STATEMENT
This bill creates a Bureau of Agricultural Vocational Education in the State Department of Education to assist school districts in the establishment of an agricultural vocational education program. A director, appointed by the commissioner, shall administer the program. The staff of the bureau will include program specialists in vocational agricultural education, located throughout the State, to provide assistance to school districts.
The bill provides that at least one program special is to be responsible for the coordination of the State program. Also, the bill provides that at least one program specialists is to coordinate the student agricultural organization known as the Future Farmers of America.
Finally, the bill requires the Commissioner of Education to establish and convene an advisory council of agriculturalists to develop recommendations regarding the program. The commissioner is required to appoint members to this council in consultation with the Secretary of Agriculture.
The purpose of this bill is to maintain the agricultural industry in this State because of its importance to the State's welfare and economic stability. This is accomplished by developing a State program in agricultural education and encouraging the inclusion of that program in the curriculum of the public schools throughout the State. Thus, the creation of the Bureau of Agricultural Vocational Education will help to ensure that there is an adequate supply of trained and skilled individuals for employment in agriculture and agribusiness.
Creates a Bureau of Agricultural Vocational Education in the Department of Education.