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.
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MAP posted-by: Elizabeth Wehrman