Current Legislation - October 25, 2012

TABITHA'S LAW: S-721/A-1902 (O’Toole, Addiego, Rumana, Diegnan) NJEA supported this bill which passed in the Senate and has been sent to the Governor’s desk. This bill requires parents to notify school administrators whenever their child will be absent from school, and requires administrators to contact parents whenever a pupil is absent without the parent's having provided prior notice. This bill is named after Tabitha, a young girl in Tennessee who was abducted after being dropped off at school. Her parents were unaware of the abduction and the school was unaware of her absence.

CHILDREN'S SUDDEN CARDIAC EVENTS REPORTING ACT: S-1911 (Madden, O'Toole) passed in the Senate, 39-0, and has been sent to the Assembly, where it was referred to the Assembly Health and Senior Services Committee.  NJEA supported this legislation that would require the reporting of children's sudden cardiac events and establish a statewide database to keep track of such information. The bill would require health care professionals to report sudden cardiac events to the Department of Health and Senior Services. It would establish the Children's Sudden Cardiac Events Registry in DHSS. NJEA has supported legislation regarding defibrillators in schools and on playgrounds as sudden cardiac events are a major concern among students and athletes.