Sponsored by:
Senator JAMES BEACH
District 6 (Burlington and Camden)
Senator SHIRLEY K. TURNER
District 15 (Hunterdon and Mercer)
Co-Sponsored by:
Senator Diegnan
SYNOPSIS
Requires school districts to provide instruction on risks of compulsive gambling as part of implementation of New Jersey Student Learning Standards in Comprehensive Health and Physical Education.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning public school curriculum and supplementing chapter 35 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. Each school district that includes grades nine through 12, or any combination thereof, shall incorporate instruction on the potential risks of compulsive gambling into the curriculum for students as part of the districts implementation of the New Jersey Student Learning Standards in Comprehensive Health and Physical Education. The instruction shall include, but not be limited to, information on:
(1) the dangers of gambling addiction;
(2) taking risks with personal finances or personal assets; and
(3) probability versus predictability.
b. The Commissioner of Education shall provide school districts with sample learning activities and resources designed to inform students of the potential risks of compulsive gambling.
c. The Commissioner of Education shall develop a training module on compulsive gambling for high school teachers to help local school districts in fulfilling the required gambling instruction established pursuant to subsection a. of this section. The training module shall include, at a minimum:
(1) the ways compulsive gambling behaviors can develop;
(2) key indicators to watch for when determining if gambling is becoming a problem; and
(3) treatment implications to consider.
2. This act shall take effect immediately and shall first apply to the first full school year following the next review and update of the core curriculum content standards performed by the State Board of Education pursuant to section 4 of P.L.2007, c.260 (C.18A:7F-46).
STATEMENT
This bill requires each school district that include grades nine through 12, or any combination thereof, to incorporate instruction on the potential risks of compulsive gambling into the curriculum for students as part of the districts implementation of the New Jersey Student Learning Standards in Comprehensive Health and Physical Education. Instruction will include information on the dangers of gambling addiction; taking risks with personal finances or personal assets; and probability versus predictability. The Commissioner of Education will provide school districts with sample learning activities and resources designed to address the potential risks of compulsive gambling. The Commissioner of Education is also required to develop a training module on compulsive gambling for high school teachers to help local school districts in fulfilling the requirements of integrating the risks of compulsive gambling as part of the required gambling instruction.
The bill postpones the application of these requirements until the school year following the next core curriculum review and update performed by the State Board of Education.