Murphy Signs 13 Bills Into Law, Makes Big School Security Push

New Jerey Gov. Phil Murphy has signed 13 bills into law, including legislation that allows schools to make a big security push.

Murphy signed bipartisan legislation on Friday, sponsored by Sen. Steven Oroho, R-Sussex, that will permit school district superintendents to designate an experienced school employee as a school safety specialist.

Oroho’s legislation will permit school district superintendents to designate an experienced employee as school safety specialist.

“Our foremost responsibility must be to ensure that children in New Jersey have a safe place to learn and grow,” Oroho said. “Now, more than ever, we must designate experienced and trained staff members who can take charge of school security, so that our schools do not fall victim to the same tragedies we have seen in other parts of the country. This law is critical to keeping our children and teachers safe from harm.”

The school safety specialist must complete the School Safety Specialist Certification Program developed by the New Jersey School Safety Specialist Academy in the Department of Education. The school safety specialist also serves as the school district liaison with local law enforcement and national, state, and community agencies and organizations in matters of school safety and security.

Senator Oroho’s legislation, S-2456, will allow New Jersey superintendents to increase the pool of potential people who can serve as a school security officer, by allowing superintendents to designate either a school administer, or a school employee who has experience in school safety and security, as the school safety specialist.

“By widening opportunities for someone to serve as school security specialist, we can guarantee that New Jersey’s classrooms have the right resources to keep everyone who walks through the door safe,” Oroho said. “I am glad we could pass this with bipartisan support and I commend the Governor for signing this responsible, commonsense safety measure into law.”

Here are the other bills that Murphy has signed into law:

• AJR-125/SJR-85 (Quijano, Jimenez/Pou, Cruz-Perez) - Designates June 20th annually as “World Refugee Day” in New Jersey.
• ACS for A-538/S-2257 (Mazzeo, Murphy, Mukherji/Beach) - Permits county governing body, with approval of county board of taxation, to revise real property assessment calendar.
• A-1033/S-1760 (Johnson, Vainieri Huttle/Weinberg) - Makes Palisades Interstate Park Commission eligible for certain open space and historic preservation funding.
• A-1627/S-1873 (Schepisi, A.M. Bucco, Auth, Danielsen, DiMaio/Sarlo, T. Kean) - Provides that PERS or PFRS member who continues to be volunteer firefighter or emergency services worker after retirement with employer from whom member retires has bona fide severance for compliance with State and federal law.
• A-2041/S-1840 (Coughlin, Holley, Pintor Marin/Vitale, Gopal) - Establishes “Economic Redevelopment and Growth Grant Bond Financing Act,” authorizing issuance of bonds secured by pledge of Economic Redevelopment and Growth Grant proceeds, municipal liens, and special assessment; expands “Redevelopment Area Bond Financing Law;” extends time to complete certain projects under “Long Term Tax Exemption Law".
• ACS for A-2747, 880/S-1532 (Houghtaling, Downey, Munoz, Danielsen/Bateman) - Limits time continuing care retirement communities may retain refundable entrance fee after resident vacates facility; provides for disposition of certain personal property.
• A-3704/S-2550 (DeAngelo, Space, Quijano/Cryan, Sweeney) - Clarifies training requirements of certain HVACR contractors.
• A-3765/S-2456 (Houghtaling, Downey, Jones, Wimberly/Gopal, Oroho) - Permits school district superintendent to designate school employee with certain expertise as school safety specialist.
• A-3888/S-2498 (Houghtaling, Downey, Egan/Gopal, Scutari) - Allows issuance of additional alcoholic beverage licenses within boundaries of formerly federally owned or operated military installations.
• A-4065/S-2724 (Lopez, Mukherji/Vitale) - Authorizes State Treasurer to sell surplus real property located in Township of Woodbridge, Middlesex County.
• A-4194/S-2738 (Coughlin/Weinberg, Beach) - Requires NJ Historical Commission to establish program for commemorations and observance of 250th anniversary of United States; permits commission to enter into public-private partnership agreement in preparation of anniversary; appropriates $500,000.
• S-767/A-3829 (Cunningham, Sweeney, T. Kean/Jasey) - Directs Secretary of Higher Education to establish communication campaign to encourage students to enroll in 30 credits per year and institutions to report to secretary on strategies and incentives to accomplish this goal.
• S-1265/A-3634 (Turner, Cruz-Perez, Singer/Jasey, Pinkin) - Provides that no more than 120 credits will be required for baccalaureate degree awarded by a public institution and no more than 60 credits for associate degree.

Governor Murphy photo