New Jersey legislation · 2026-2027 Regular Session
New Jersey A5123: Declaration of Independence-conduct oral recitation each day, grades 3-12;$10K
Status: In committee, May 18, 2026
Requires principals and teachers of public schools to conduct two sentence oral recitation from Declaration of Independence before opening of school each day in grades three through 12; appropriates $10,000.
What the bill says
An Act requiring principals and teachers of public schools to conduct an oral recitation from the Declaration of Independence before the opening of each school day for certain pupils, supplementing chapter 36 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes, and making an appropriation.
From the introduced text, May 18, 2026:
An Act requiring principals and teachers of public schools to conduct an oral recitation from the Declaration of Independence before the opening of each school day for certain pupils, supplementing chapter 36 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes, and making an appropriation. Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey: 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the America Celebrating 250 Years Act. 2. The Legislature finds and declares that: a. In writing the Declaration of Independence, in addition to listing the specific grievances of the American Colonies toward the British King and Parliament, Thomas Jefferson set forth a statement of the fundamental principles of government upon which the new nation was to be founded, and this statement continued to have resonance long after the contents of the remainder of the document were forgotten. b. In his writing, Jefferson was influenced by the ideas of John Locke's Two Treatises of Government, and of the French philosophes of the Enlightenment such as Rousseau, Montesquieu, and Voltaire, in his dislike of absolute monarchy and in his belief that governments were legitimate only when based on the consent of the governed. c. The Abolitionist movement in the United States prior to the Civil War used Jeffersons words in the …
Sponsors
- Robert Auth (R, 39) · primary sponsor
- Gregory E. Myhre (R, 9) · primary sponsor
- Robert D. Clifton (R, 12)
- Victoria A. Flynn (R, 13)
- Antwan L. McClellan (R, 1)
- John DiMaio (R, 23)
- Dawn Fantasia (R, 24)
- Paul Kanitra (R, 10)
Latest actions
- : INT 1RA REF AED
Subjects: EDUCATION - SCHOOL BOARDS AND DISTRICTS
Common questions
- What is A5123?
- A5123 is a bill in the New Jersey Legislature (2026-2027 Regular Session): Declaration of Independence-conduct oral recitation each day, grades 3-12;$10K.
- What does A5123 do?
- In its own words: An Act requiring principals and teachers of public schools to conduct an oral recitation from the Declaration of Independence before the opening of each school day for certain pupils, supplementing chapter 36 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes, and making an appropriation.
- What is the status of A5123?
- In committee as of May 18, 2026. Latest action: INT 1RA REF AED (May 18, 2026).
- Who sponsored A5123?
- Robert Auth (R, 39), with 7 co-sponsors.
- Where is the official record for A5123?
- On the New Jersey Legislature website: https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/bill-search/2026/A5123
Source: official New Jersey record. Tracked by Delilah, AI for legislation across all 50 states and Congress.