This bill eliminates the statewide high school graduation proficiency test requirement for all New Jersey students. It directly affects every high school student in the state by removing a mandated test as a condition for earning a diploma. The key mechanism deletes references to the "Statewide proficiency test" from existing graduation statutes (including sections of P.L.1979, c.241), shifting responsibility to local school districts to set their own graduation standards. This change means students will no longer need to pass a state-administered test to graduate, though local districts must still establish and monitor proficiency requirements.
This bill repeals New Jersey laws that allowed certain undocumented students meeting specific criteria to qualify for in-state tuition and state financial aid at public colleges. It eliminates the requirement that students must have attended a New Jersey high school for three or more years, graduated from a New Jersey high school (or equivalent), and enrolled as an entering student or currently enrolled as of a specified date. The bill also removes the requirement for undocumented students to file an affidavit about applying for legal immigration status. This change directly affects undocumented students who previously met these criteria but no longer qualifies them for these benefits. Provisions for students with T/U visas or dependents of H-1B/O-1/O-2 visa holders remain unchanged.
ACR 18 is a non-binding resolution opposing New Jersey's revised 2020 Comprehensive Health and Physical Education standards for sex education. It states the legislature objects to standards that include "controversial topics" on social issues, arguing they interfere with parents' rights to teach values aligned with family beliefs and expose children to "age-inappropriate sexual content." The resolution calls on the State Board of Education to revise the standards, noting the current opt-out provision for students is insufficient to prevent unintended exposure to graphic material. It directly addresses the State Board of Education and the Department of Education, not individual schools or families. The resolution was introduced in 2026 and referred to the Assembly Education Committee.
New Jersey bill A-230 requires the Department of Education to create model policies for schools to notify parents when instructional materials contain sexually explicit content (defined as depictions of sexual conduct, nudity, or specific acts). School boards must adopt policies based on these models, including: (1) notifying parents before student exposure, (2) clearly identifying specific materials and topics, and (3) allowing parents to review content or request alternative materials. The bill applies to all public elementary and secondary schools and explicitly states it does not permit book censorship. It takes effect for the first full school year after enactment.
This New Jersey bill (A 1605) prohibits public school boards from teaching family life education, sex education, sexual health, sexual orientation, or gender identity to students in preschool through fourth grade. It directly affects school districts and educators in New Jersey who must stop providing these specific topics in early grades. The bill requires the State Board of Education to revise the statewide health education standards within 30 days to align with this prohibition. The law takes effect immediately upon enactment.
This bill requires New Jersey public schools to teach students in grades 9-12 about historical atrocities committed by the governments of the Soviet Union (U.S.S.R.), China (PRC), and Nazi Germany. Specifically, it mandates age-appropriate instruction covering the history of these regimes, their human rights abuses and genocides, and the use of systems like gulags and concentration camps. School districts must align this teaching with State Board of Education standards and will receive sample instructional materials from the Commissioner of Education. The law applies to all New Jersey public school districts implementing social studies standards for high school students, beginning with the first full school year after enactment.
The "Children Innocence Protection Act" (A 3021) prohibits New Jersey public school districts from teaching students about sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, abortion, or birth control in grades K-5 without any parental consent. For grades 6-12, schools must provide parents detailed written curriculum information, an electronic method to review lessons, and obtain their written consent before teaching these topics - except for anatomy or biology science courses. The bill also bans schools from administering surveys revealing student or family information without prior written parental consent and prohibits partnerships with outside entities for such surveys. Parents can file complaints with the Commissioner of Education or sue school districts for violations, with potential penalties including attorney fees.
This New Jersey Assembly Resolution (AR 20) urges the U.S. Congress to remove federal court jurisdiction over cases where states require undocumented immigrant children to pay school tuition. It also asks the Supreme Court to overturn *Plyler v. Doe* (1981), which established that states cannot deny public education to undocumented children. The resolution does not create new law but formally requests federal action to return education policy authority to states. It directly addresses how states may fund education for undocumented students, referencing the Supreme Court's conflicting rulings on the issue. This is a non-binding request, not a legislative proposal.
This New Jersey bill (A-532) would require public school districts to provide vouchers covering 75% of tuition at nonpublic schools for students whose parents withdraw them due to objections about curriculum content. It specifically protects objections related to material conflicting with parental beliefs about sex, sexuality, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, or morality. The voucher amount is calculated based on the district's per-pupil spending, prorated for remaining school days. The bill is currently pending in the Assembly Education Committee (introduced January 13, 2026) and would directly affect parents who withdraw children over curriculum disputes and the school districts funding those vouchers.
S 3596 requires New Jersey's State Board of Education to obtain legislative approval - via a concurrent resolution - from the state legislature before adopting, amending, or readopting any education rules or regulations. It repeals the "Managing for Equity in Education" regulations (N.J.A.C.6A:7), which were specific equity-focused policies in the state's administrative code. The bill shifts oversight of education rule-making from the State Board to the legislature, meaning rules cannot take effect without legislative consent. The repeal removes these equity regulations from school policy, and the bill takes effect immediately.
