The Senate Education Committee passed S. 3330, which would require school districts to provide instruction on grief as part of New Jersey Student Learning Standards in Comprehensive Health and Physical Education.

Senators Joe Cryan (D-20) and Jon Bramnick (R-21) sponsored the bill.

The suicide earlier this month of Adriana Kuch, a student at Central Regional High School, intensified the urgency of the scheduled meeting and its agenda.

Chairman Vin Gopal, Democratic senator from the 11th District, said the death of Ms. Kuch and grief among young people puts not only today’s agenda but next week’s committee business into clearer focus.  Gopal said he had reached out to the three Ocean County senators to participate in a hearing next week on the rise of teen suicide, particularly among teenage girls.

On today’s bill, former Bogota Mayor Steve Lonegan (a Republican running for a state senate seat in LD-24) testified in opposition. “S3330 has the promise to further drive a wedge between parents and their children,” Lonegan said. “To replace our places of worship, our integral social structure, with a government employee or contractor. As S3330 will be merged into Social Emotional Learning (SEL) and as SEL scores continue to develop, this will be just another component of SEL.”

The senate candidate said he had never gotten over the death of his father.

“It’s been 50 years [since his father’s death],” Lonegan said. “…In the wake of the death of my father, I turned to my family, boy scout leaders, football coaches, and the Catholic Church, where I went for counseling. I don’t believe prayer is going to be part [of this bill].”

Gopal disagreed.

“This is going to have an impact on a lot of folks,” said the chairman. “Thank you to the sponsors.”

Gopal moved the bill.

It passed unanimously.

From the bill:

1. a.  A school district shall include instruction on grief in an appropriate place in the curriculum of students in grades eight through 12 as part of the district’s implementation of the New Jersey Student Learning Standards in Comprehensive Health and Physical Education.
2. The instruction shall include, at a minimum, information on:

(1)  the physical, emotional, and behavioral symptoms of grief;

(2)  coping mechanisms and techniques for handling grief and loss; and

(3)  resources available to students, including in-school support, mental health crisis support, and individual and group therapy.

1. The Commissioner of Education shall provide school districts with age-appropriate sample learning activities and resources designed to implement the requirement established pursuant to subsection a. of this section.
2. This act shall take effect immediately and shall first apply to the first full school year following the date of enactment.

STATEMENT

This bill requires each school district to include instruction on grief in an appropriate place in the curriculum of students in grades eight through 12 as part of the district’s implementation of the New Jersey Student Learning Standards in Comprehensive Health and Physical Education.

The instruction is to include information on the physical, emotional, and behavioral symptoms of grief; coping mechanisms and techniques for handling grief and loss; and resources available to students, including in-school support, mental health crisis support, and individual and group therapy.

Under the bill, the Commissioner of Education is required to provide school districts with age-appropriate sample learning activities and resources designed to implement the requirement to include instruction on grief in the public school curriculum.