This bill amends existing laws regarding criminal history record checks for school employees in New Jersey. It expands the scope of individuals subject to these checks to include those in positions involving non-incidental regular, recurring, or unsupervised contact with students, as well as those who are present on school property when students are or may reasonably be present. The bill also stipulates that if an employee is disqualified from continued employment due to a criminal charge, the employing board or contractor must report back to the Commissioner of Education within 30 days regarding the actions taken in response to the disqualification. If they fail to do so, the commissioner is empowered to take necessary actions to ensure compliance.

Additionally, the bill significantly increases the penalties for non-compliance with criminal history record check requirements, raising fines from a maximum of $500 to $5,000 for the first offense and $10,000 for subsequent offenses. It also grants the Commissioner of Education the authority to implement corrective measures against boards of education that repeatedly employ disqualified individuals, including appointing a State monitor and potentially removing board members. Furthermore, the Commissioner is required to publicly disclose non-compliant boards on the Department of Education's website and at annual meetings, enhancing transparency and accountability in the hiring practices of educational institutions.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 18A:6-7.1, 18A:6-7.3, 18A:6-7.5