A new bipartisan bill calls for New Jersey high schools to implement instruction on dealing with grief to help students.
Republican Sen. Jon Bramnick and Democratic Sen. Joe Cryan unveiled the proposal in Mountainside Friday.
The lawmakers were joined by therapists and experts in dealing with grief, and a 9-year-old girl whose 5-year-old brother died a few months ago.
"It's really bad that these things can happen to kids at young ages," says Ava Quezada, an advocate for grief education. "But they still should learn about it in school."
The bill focuses on students in grades 8-12. The lessons would include grief symptoms, coping mechanisms and available resources.