This bill creates a new $2 million stipend program to recruit and retain volunteer firefighters in New Jersey. It provides new volunteers aged 18+ with a $750 monthly stipend for 15+ hours of service per month during their first year, administered through the Department of State’s Office of Volunteerism. Firehouses must certify volunteer hours, and the program includes after-school fire service education in grades 6-8 to promote future recruitment. The $2 million appropriation funds the stipends and related initiatives through a dedicated, permanent state fund. The bill directly affects new volunteer firefighters, fire departments, and school districts offering the youth programs.
This bill provides a nonrefundable 10% tax credit for New Jersey taxpayers who donate to eligible schools for specific purposes. It allows credits up to $500 per year for donations funding student meal programs, medical supplies for student treatment, or playground equipment (including shade structures). The credit applies to donations made to public or nonpublic elementary/secondary schools, with taxpayers required to obtain written documentation from the school to claim the credit. The bill takes effect immediately upon enactment.
This bill requires New Jersey public colleges to provide a replacement scholarship to student-athletes who lose their athletic scholarship due to an injury or illness directly related to intercollegiate athletics. If the injury makes a student-athlete medically ineligible to compete (as determined by the institution's medical staff), the school must offer a scholarship equal in value for the remainder of their undergraduate degree program or up to five years total - whichever is shorter. It specifically applies to student-athletes enrolled at public institutions of higher education in New Jersey. The law defines "incapacitating injury or illness" as one directly tied to athletic participation that causes medical ineligibility for competition.
This bill (A 481) upgrades penalties for cyber-harassment targeting public servants or their family members, raising it from a fourth-degree to a third-degree crime. It also establishes the Office of Cyber-Harassment Support within the Department of Law and Public Safety to provide victim assistance, develop educational programs, and coordinate with law enforcement and schools on cyber-harassment prevention. Key provisions include creating accessible reporting systems for victims, requiring school-based cyber ethics education, and collaborating with social media platforms to address harmful content. Note: The bill was withdrawn on January 13, 2026, after being superseded by enacted legislation (P.L.2025, c.303).
This bill prohibits urban renewal projects from claiming property tax exemptions for school purposes on rehabilitation or improvements in redevelopment projects after the bill's effective date. It amends financial agreement requirements to mandate that municipalities include specific findings about tax exemption provisions and annual service charges in contracts with urban renewal entities. The bill directly affects housing and redevelopment projects that previously could have avoided school property taxes through long-term tax exemptions. This policy change ensures school property taxes are paid on these projects, maintaining local school funding.
This bill (A 1613) allows New Jersey school districts to use existing "security categorical aid" funding to hire school security personnel for students attending nonpublic schools within the district. It amends current law to explicitly include hiring security staff as an allowable use of this specific funding, which districts already receive under the School Funding Reform Act of 2008. The change clarifies that security services provided to nonpublic school students - including security personnel - align with the Secure Schools for All Children Act requirements. The bill does not create new funding but specifies how current resources can be applied.
This bill creates two new types of state funding for New Jersey school districts: "Stabilization Aid" for districts facing reduced state aid or budget shortfalls, and "Education Rescue Grants" for districts that lost teaching staff. To qualify, districts must apply to the Commissioner of Education, with Stabilization Aid requiring a future funding plan and Rescue Grants covering only teacher salaries (not benefits) for rehiring or retraining. The aid supplements existing school funding under the 2008 School Funding Reform Act but does not change the overall funding formula. It directly affects school districts experiencing specific financial or staffing challenges, providing temporary relief until broader funding reforms are implemented.
This bill provides additional state aid to New Jersey school districts that meet three specific criteria related to nonpublic school student transportation costs. Districts qualify if they saw over a 100% increase in eligible students over five years, experienced a 20%+ cost jump in one year, and allocated at least 20% of their transportation budget to nonpublic students in 2023-2024. Qualifying districts receive 100% reimbursement for transportation costs for regular education nonpublic school pupils. The bill directly affects districts facing exceptional demographic shifts that strain their transportation budgets, aiming to support constitutionally required educational funding. It takes effect immediately upon enactment.
This bill changes how New Jersey school districts calculate payments to charter schools for students living in those districts. It requires districts to pay charter schools 60% of a combined amount (equalization aid, adjustment aid, and tax levy per pupil, adjusted for inflation) when 50% of the district's equalization aid plus tax levy is less than its adjustment aid per pupil. This directly affects school districts, charter schools, and students enrolled in charters who reside in the district. The change ensures charter schools receive more equitable funding in districts receiving significant adjustment aid. The bill is pending in the Assembly Education Committee (introduced January 13, 2026).
This bill requires school buses transporting students with special needs to install three safety features: interior video cameras to monitor student safety, real-time GPS tracking for location and speed, and two-way communication equipment. It specifies that video footage and GPS data collected under this law are not considered government records, and the State Board of Education must create rules for equipment installation, data use, and video retention periods. The law directly affects school bus operators and students with special needs, aiming to enhance safety and communication during transportation. It also mandates that drivers follow existing laws prohibiting phone use while driving. The bill takes effect six months after enactment, with administrative actions allowed in advance for implementation.
