New Jersey A 4538: Requires school districts to establish procedures for online reporting of harassment, intimidation, and bullying.

Bill Text

A4538 

ASSEMBLY, No. 4538 

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

� 

INTRODUCED MARCH 10, 2026

Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman� CAROL A. MURPHY

District 7 (Burlington)

Assemblyman� WILLIAM B. SAMPSON, IV

District 31 (Hudson)

Co-Sponsored by:

Assemblyman Angelozzi

SYNOPSIS

���� Requires school districts to establish procedures for 
online reporting of harassment, intimidation, and bullying. 

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT 

���� As introduced.

�� 

An Act concerning harassment, intimidation, and bullying in 
public schools and amending P.L.2002, c.83.

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

���� 1.��� Section 3 of P.L.2002, 
c.83 (C.18A:37-15) is amended to read as follows:

���� 3.��� a.� Each school district 
shall adopt a policy prohibiting harassment, intimidation or bullying on school 
property, at a school-sponsored function or on a school bus. The school 
district shall adopt the policy through a process that includes representation 
of parents or guardians, school employees, volunteers, students, 
administrators, and community representatives.

���� b.��� A school district shall 
have local control over the content of the policy, except that the policy shall 
contain, at a minimum, the following components:

���� (1)�� a statement prohibiting 
harassment, intimidation or bullying of a student;

���� (2)�� a definition of 
harassment, intimidation or bullying no less inclusive than that set forth in 
section 2 of P.L.2002, c.83 (C.18A:37-14);

���� (3)�� a description of the 
type of behavior expected from each student;

���� (4)�� consequences and 
appropriate remedial action for a person who commits an act of harassment, 
intimidation or bullying.� The consequences for a student who commits an act of 
harassment, intimidation, or bullying may include: for the first act of 
harassment, intimidation, or bullying committed by a student, a copy of the 
results of the investigation shall be placed in the student�s record and the 
student may be subject to remedial actions, including the provision of 
counseling or behavioral intervention services, or discipline, or both, as 
determined by the principal in consultation with appropriate school staff; for 
the second act, a copy of the results of the investigation shall be placed in 
the student's record and the student may be subject to remedial actions, 
including the provision of counseling or behavioral intervention services, or 
discipline, or both, as determined by the principal, in consultation with 
appropriate school staff; and for the third and each subsequent act, a copy of 
the results of the investigation shall be placed in the student's record, and 
the principal, in consultation with appropriate school staff, shall develop an 
individual student intervention plan which shall be approved by the 
superintendent of schools or the superintendent's designee, and may include 
remedial actions including counseling or behavioral intervention services, or 
progressive discipline, or both, and may require the student, accompanied by a 
parent or guardian, to complete in a satisfactory manner a class or training 
program to reduce harassment, intimidation or bullying behavior.

���� The superintendent of schools 
or the superintendent's designee and the principal shall consult law 
enforcement, as appropriate, pursuant to the provisions of the Uniform State 
Memorandum of Agreement Between Education and Law Enforcement Officials, if the 
student's behavior may constitute a possible violation of the New Jersey Code 
of Criminal Justice;

���� (5)�� a procedure for 
reporting an act of harassment, intimidation or bullying, including a provision 
that permits a person to report an act of harassment, intimidation or bullying 
anonymously; however, this shall not be construed to permit formal disciplinary 
action solely on the basis of an anonymous report.

���� Beginning on the 120th day 
following the effective date 
of P.L. , c. (pending 
before the Legislature as this bill), the policy shall include a procedure that 
permits a person to electronically report an act of harassment, intimidation or 
bullying using an online reporting form, which form shall be accessible through 
the official Internet website of the school district.�� 

���� All acts of harassment, 
intimidation, or bullying shall be reported verbally to the school principal on 
the same day when the school employee or contracted service provider witnessed 
or received reliable information regarding any such incident.� The principal 
shall inform the parents or guardians of all students involved in the alleged 
incident, and may discuss, as appropriate, the availability of counseling and 
other intervention services.� The principal shall keep a written record of the 
date, time, and manner of notification to the parents or guardians.� All acts 
of harassment, intimidation, or bullying shall be reported in writing to the 
school principal with