Pubdate: Tue, 30 Aug 2005 Source: Asbury Park Press (NJ) Copyright: 2005 Asbury Park Press Contact: http://www.app.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/26 Author: Lauren O. Kidd Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/testing.htm (Drug Test) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth) LEGISLATION AUTHORIZING RANDOM DRUG TESTS BY SCHOOL OFFICIALS NOW LAW TRENTON -- Procedures for randomly testing high school students for drugs will now be uniform across New Jersey, under a state law signed Monday by acting Gov. Codey. The new law -- which is effective immediately but which relies on rules that still must be drawn up -- affects students who participate in athletics or other extracurricular activities or hold permits to park on school grounds. "It will establish statewide guidelines for random tests," said its sponsor, Sen. Nicholas Sacco, D-Hudson, who is assistant superintendent of schools in North Bergen. About a dozen New Jersey school districts already utilize random drug testing, said Frank Belluscio, a spokesman for the New Jersey School Boards Association. Other districts test students on suspicion. Under the new law, boards of education have the option of randomly testing certain students for drugs, including anabolic steroids. The policy would be distributed to students and guardians at the start of each school year. - --- MAP posted-by: Elizabeth Wehrman