S3467

An Act concerning anti-bias training in school districts and public institutions of higher education 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. The Commissioner of Education, in consultation with the Division on Civil Rights in the Department of Law and Public Safety, shall develop an anti-bias training program for all school district employees who interact with students and for all board of education members.

b. The training program shall:

(1) review various dimensions of personal and cultural identity;

(2) highlight and promote diversity, equity, inclusion, tolerance and belonging on topics including: gender and sexual orientation; race and ethnicity; disabilities; and religious tolerance;

(3) provide information on how people form implicit and unconscious biases;

(4) provide opportunities to learn from and about others and explore ways to address bias and prejudice; and

(5) encourage safe, welcoming, and inclusive environments for all students, school district employees, and board members regardless of race or ethnicity, sexual and gender identities, mental and physical disabilities, and religious beliefs.

c. A school district shall provide an anti-bias training opportunity, developed pursuant to subsection a. of this section, each school year for all school district employees who interact with students and for all board of education members. The training opportunity shall be conducted in-service but shall also be made available virtually or remotely. The training opportunity shall be offered no later than October 30 of each school year. Each school district employee who interacts with students and each board of education member shall attend the training, either in-person or remotely.

2. a. The Secretary of Higher Education, in consultation with the Division on Civil Rights in the Department of Law and Public Safety, shall develop an anti-bias training program for all public institution of higher education employees who interact with students.

b. The training program shall:

(1) review various dimensions of personal and cultural identity;

(2) highlight and promote diversity, equity, inclusion, tolerance and belonging on topics including: gender and sexual orientation; race and ethnicity; disabilities; and religious tolerance;

(3) provide information on how people form implicit and unconscious biases;

(4) provide opportunities to learn from and about others and explore ways to address bias and prejudice; and

(5) encourage safe, welcoming, and inclusive environments for all students and employees of the institution regardless of race or ethnicity, sexual and gender identities, mental and physical disabilities, and religious beliefs.

c. A public institution of higher education shall provide an anti-bias training opportunity, developed pursuant to subsection a. of this section, each academic year for all employees of the institution who interact with students. The training opportunity shall be conducted in-service but shall also be made available virtually or remotely. The training opportunity shall be offered no later than October 30 of each academic year. Each employee of the institution who interacts with students shall attend the training, either in-person or remotely.

3. This act shall take effect immediately. Section 1 of this act shall first apply to the first full school year following the date of enactment, and Section 2 of this act shall first apply to the first full academic year following the date of enactment.

STATEMENT

This bill requires school districts and public institutions of higher education to provide anti-bias training for all employees who interact with students. Under the bill, the Commissioner of Education and the Secretary of Higher Education, respectively, in consultation with the Division on Civil Rights in the Department of Law and Public Safety, will develop an anti-bias training program for all school district employees, all board of education members, and all public institution of higher education employees who interact with students.

The bill provides that the training program will:

(1) review various dimensions of personal and cultural identity;

(2) highlight and promote diversity, equity, inclusion, tolerance and belonging on topics including: gender and sexual orientation; race and ethnicity; disabilities; and religious tolerance;

(3) provide information on how people form implicit and unconscious biases;

(4) provide opportunities to learn from and about others and explore ways to address bias and prejudice; and

(5) encourage safe, welcoming, and inclusive environments for all students, school district employees, board of education employees, and employees of the institutions regardless of race or ethnicity, sexual and gender identities, mental and physical disabilities, and religious beliefs.

Under the bill, each school district employee, each board of education member, and each employee of a public institution of higher education who interacts with students is be required to attend the training each school year or academic year, respectively. The bill provides that the training opportunity will be conducted in-service but must also be made available virtually or remotely.