Gov. Phil Murphy will now decide whether middle school and high school students in New Jersey should be taught about the historical contributions of people with disabilities and in the LGBTQ community, after the state Assembly approved a bill Monday that would mandate a change to the curriculum.

If the governor signs the bill, school boards would have to make changes to the curriculum in time for the 2020-21 school year, according to the bill.

“A board of education shall adopt inclusive instructional materials that portray the cultural and economic diversity of society including the political, economic, and social contributions of persons with disabilities and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people , where appropriate,” according to (S1569).

The bill was championed by a host of civil rights organizations championed, including Garden State Equality, GLSEN Central Jersey, Shore Area NOW, Make it Better 4 Youth, and the Bayard Rustin Center for Social Justice.

“As a former educator and someone who did their doctoral work in the history of sexuality, this bill is particularly close to my heart,” said Aaron Potenza, policy director for the civil rights group Garden State Equality. “I know the importance of this history and the impact of representation for marginalized groups.”

“This bill, which now goes to the governor’s desk, will improve school climate, not only for those LGBTQ youth and young people with disabilities who will now see themselves reflected in the curriculum, but for all students as studies show that schools with LGBT inclusive curriculum have significantly less bullying around sexual orientation and gender identity and expression,” Potenza said.

The bill, sponsored by Assemblywoman Valerie Vainieri Huttle and state Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg, both D-Bergen, passed the Assembly by a 52-10 vote with 15 abstentions on Monday. The Senate approved the bill in June by a 27-8 vote.

Murphy typically declines to comment on legislation before it reaches his desk. But he has signed legislation protecting LGBT rights before.

In July, he signed bills that permitted transgender people in New Jersey to alter the sex recorded on their birth and death certificates.

In October, the state Department of Education offered guidance to school districts, telling them schools they must allow kids to change genders -- even if their parents don’t know about or don’t want it to happen.

Susan K. Livio may be reached at slivio@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @SusanKLivio. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.