§§1-3 -

C.18A:40-3.7 to

18A:40-3.9

P.L.2017, CHAPTER 70, approved May 11, 2017

Assembly, No. 1256 (First Reprint)

An Act concerning school nurse certification and supplementing chapter 40 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes.

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

      1.   State Board of Education regulations prescribing the requirements for eligibility for an educational services certificate with a school nurse endorsement shall, at a minimum, require that a candidate for the endorsement:

      a.   is licensed as a registered nurse pursuant to the provisions of P.L.1947, c.262 (C.45:11-23 et seq.);

      b.   holds a bachelor’s degree from a regionally-accredited college or university;

      c.   completes either a Department of Education-approved college curriculum for the preparation of school nurses or a program of studies, with a minimum of ¹[30] 21¹ semester hour credits, that includes study in ¹the fundamentals of substance abuse and dependency and such other¹ subject areas ¹as¹ determined by the State board ¹,¹ and clinical experience in a school nurse office; and

      d.   completes a college-supervised school nurse practicum experience, a portion of which shall be completed in a school nurse office and a portion of which shall be completed in a classroom.  The practicum experience may count toward the minimum ¹[30] 21¹ semester hour credit requirement.

      2.   State Board of Education regulations prescribing the requirements for eligibility for an educational services certificate with a school nurse/non-instructional endorsement shall, at a minimum, require that a candidate for the endorsement:

      a.   is licensed as a registered nurse pursuant to the provisions of P.L.1947, c.262 (C.45:11-23 et seq.);

      b.   holds a bachelor’s degree from a regionally-accredited college or university; and

      c.   completes either a Department of Education-approved college curriculum for the preparation of school nurses or a program of studies, with a minimum of ¹[21] 15¹ semester hour credits, that includes study in ¹the fundamentals of substance abuse and dependency and such other¹ subject areas ¹as¹ determined by the State board ¹,¹ and clinical experience in a school nurse office.

     3.    Nothing in this act shall be construed to limit the authority of the State Board of Education to prescribe additional eligibility requirements for a school nurse endorsement or a school nurse/non-instructional endorsement.

     4.    This act shall take effect immediately.

     Requires State Board of Education regulations regarding school nurse certification to include certain minimum eligibility requirements.