ASSEMBLY, No. 1609

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

INTRODUCED FEBRUARY 29, 1996

By Assemblywoman WRIGHT

An Act concerning public school pupils and amending N.J.S.18A:40-4.

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

    1. N.J.S.18A:40-4 is amended to read as follows:

    18A:40-4. The medical inspector, or the nurse or licensed medical and health care personnel under the immediate direction of the medical inspector, shall examine every pupil to learn whether any physical defect exists, or in lieu thereof the medical inspector may accept the report of such an examination by a physician licensed to practice medicine and surgery within the State or by a nurse practitioner/clinical nurse specialist certified by the New Jersey Board of Nursing, and the frequency and procedure of and selection of pupils for such examinations shall comply with the rules of the State board. Additionally a screening of hearing examination shall be conducted on each pupil during the school year pursuant to rules, regulations and standards established by the State Department of Education in consultation with the State Department of Health.

    A pupil who presents a statement signed by his parents or guardian that such required examinations interfere with the free exercise of his religious beliefs shall be examined only to the extent necessary to determine whether he is ill or infected with a communicable disease or to determine his fitness to participate in any health, safety and physical education course required by law.

    A health record of each pupil shall be kept, in which shall be entered the findings of each examination, and such record shall be the property of the board of education and shall be forwarded to any public school to which the pupil is transferred, if such school is known.

(cf: P.L.1979, c. 427, s.1)

    2. This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

    Current law provides that, in place of a physical examination by the school physician, the school may accept the report of such an examination by any licensed physician. This bill would also allow a school to accept a medical report based upon an examination by a nurse practitioner/clinical nurse specialist certified by the New Jersey Board of Nursing.

Permits school to accept results of physical examination of pupils by a nurse practitioner/clinical nurse specialist.