Student mental health issues prompt New Jersey lawmakers to back bill A276
đ´ Nearly half of New
Jersey teens report feeling sad or hopeless.
đ´ A bipartisan bill would create a mental health task force, including student voices đ´ The bill must reach Gov. Phil Murphyâs desk before January 2026. A New Jersey lawmaker is making one last, hard push to help the countless teens who suffer from poor mental health. âYoung people across New Jersey are facing unprecedented levels of stress, anxiety, and emotional challenges,â said Assemblywoman Michele Matsikoudis, R-Union. Itâs not an exaggeration; the2021 state Student Health Surveyfound that 42% of polled teens had felt sad or hopeless. And 20% of teens had seriously considered a suicide attempt. While the survey was done in the wake of the pandemic, those numbers had unfortunately been trending steadily upward for a decade.
What
Bill A276 would do to address student mental health BillA276would create a state mental health task force. The mental health task force would have 19 members, including two New Jersey students â one from a middle school and another from a high school â who will give insight into their experiences with mental health. Its main focus will be to examine the mental health resources already available in schools and then develop recommendations to ensure that each student has access to mental health programs. The task force would also be responsible for figuring out which students have mental health issues and what kind of funding schools need to improve their counseling services. âWhen students see mental health being treated with the same seriousness and care as physical health, it sends a powerful message: that asking for help is not a weakness and that they are not alone,â said Matsikoudis.
Political timing puts pressure on billâs future Matsikoudis is set to leave office next month after she lost her re-election bid. Thebillneeds Gov. Phil Murphyâs signature before he also leaves Drumthwacket on Jan. 20, 2026. If it doesnât get to Murphyâs desk, the process must start all over again. The bill cleared the Assembly Education Committee last week. However, it still needs the full approval of the state legislature to go anywhere. Report a correctionđ | đContact our newsroom
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