(Sponsorship Updated As Of: 2/12/2024)
SENATE, No. 1253
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
221st LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2024 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Senator JAMES BEACH
District 6 (Burlington and Camden)
Senator ANTHONY M. BUCCO
District 25 (Morris and Passaic)
Co-Sponsored by:
Senator McKnight
SYNOPSIS
Establishes pilot program in DOE to use therapy dogs in public elementary
school wellness programs.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As reported by the Senate Education Committee with technical review.
S1253 BEACH, A.M.BUCCO
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AN ACT establishing a pilot program in the Department of 1
Education on the use of therapy dogs in public elementary school 2
wellness programs. 3
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BE IT ENACTED by the Senate and General Assembly of the State 5
of New Jersey: 6
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1. a. The Commissioner of Education shall establish a three-8
year pilot program to assess the academic and health benefits 9
associated with the use of therapy dogs in public elementary school 10
wellness programs. 11
b. A school district that wants to participate in the pilot 12
program shall submit an application to the commissioner. The 13
application shall include, but be limited to: the number of 14
elementary schools in the school district; the number of students 15
enrolled in each elementary school; information on student 16
participation in wellness programs at each elementary school; and 17
information on how the school district plans to use therapy dogs to 18
promote student wellness. 19
c. The commissioner shall select two districts in each of the 20
southern, central, and northern regions of the State to participate in 21
the program and shall seek a cross section of school districts from 22
urban, suburban, and rural areas of the State. 23
d. The commissioner shall provide pilot districts with guidance 24
regarding the use of therapy dogs in schools including: examples of 25
activities that students may engage in with a therapy dog; 26
recommended training requirements for therapy dog handlers; 27
recommended measures to evaluate the health and appropriate 28
behavior of therapy dogs; and insurance issues relevant to having 29
therapy dogs on school district property. 30
e. No later than June 30 of the third school year following the 31
establishment of the pilot program, the commissioner shall submit 32
to the Governor, and to the Legislature pursuant to section 2 of 33
P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), a report that evaluates the 34
effectiveness of the pilot program in improving the academic 35
performance and health outcomes of students in elementary schools. 36
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2. This act shall take effect immediately. 38