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A1632
ASSEMBLY, No. 1632
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
222nd LEGISLATURE
�
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman SEAN T. KEAN
District 30 (Monmouth and Ocean)
SYNOPSIS
���� Requires school districts to allow home-schooled
students to participate in school-sponsored extracurricular activities in
student's resident district; directs Commissioner of Education to establish
guidelines.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
���� Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative
Counsel.
��
An Act
concerning home-schooled students and
supplementing Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes.
����
Be It
Enacted
by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:
����
���� 1.��� a.�� A board of
education shall permit a home-schooled student to try out for, and participate
in, any school-sponsored extracurricular activity including, but not limited
to, clubs, musical ensembles, Statewide interscholastic sports programs, and
theatrical productions in the student�s district of residence in accordance
with the same criteria established for students enrolled in the district.� A
home-schooled student who wishes to participate in an extracurricular activity
in the resident district shall:
���� (1)�� reside in the district;
���� (2)�� meet the eligibility and
try out criteria for participation in the activity; and
���� (3)�� comply with the guidelines
established pursuant to section 2 of this act, and all policies, rules, and
regulations of the governing organization of the extracurricular activity.
���� b.��� In the event that the
extracurricular activity is interscholastic athletics, the home-schooled
student shall demonstrate to the board of education that the student did not
transfer to a home education program for athletic advantage. A student who
withdraws from a public school to enroll in a home education program and who is
ineligible to participate in interscholastic athletics at the time of
withdrawal from the public school due to a failure to meet academic,
behavioral, or eligibility standards, shall be ineligible to compete in
interscholastic athletic competition.
���� c.���� If the school-sponsored
extracurricular activity requires the completion of a physical examination or
medical test as a condition of participation and the school district of
residence offers the requisite examination or test to the students enrolled in
the school district, the school district shall permit a home-schooled student
to access the examination or test and shall publish the dates and times of the
examination or test on its website.
���� d.��� Any transportation
required for participation in a school-sponsored extracurricular activity and
provided to a student enrolled in the resident district may be provided to the
home-schooled student by the resident district.
���� 2.��� a.� The Commissioner of
Education shall develop guidelines to assist school districts in determining
whether a home-schooled student is receiving equivalent instruction in a home
education program sufficient to be eligible to participate in extracurricular
activities at the resident school district.
���� b.��� The guidelines shall be
posted at an easily accessible location on the Department of Education�s
website, and on the website of each board of education.
���� 3.��� This act shall take
effect in the first full school year following the date of enactment, except
that the Commissioner of Education may take any anticipatory action as shall be
necessary for implementation of this act.
STATEMENT
���� The bill also requires school
districts to allow home-schooled students to participate in school-sponsored
extracurricular activities in the student�s resident district. The bill also
directs the Commissioner of Education to establish guidelines concerning the
eligibility of home-schooled students to participate in school-sponsored
extracurricular activities.
���� The bill requires school
districts to allow home-schooled students to participate in any
school-sponsored extracurricular activity including, clubs, musical ensembles,
Statewide interscholastic sports programs, and theatrical productions in the
student�s district of residence in accordance with the same criteria
established for students enrolled in the district.
���� Under the bill, a
home-schooled student who wishes to participate in an extracurricular activity
in the resident district is required to:
���� (1)�� reside in the district;
���� (2)�� meet the eligibility and
try out criteria for participation in the activity; and
���� (3)�� comply with the guidelines
required to be established under the bill, and all policies, rules, and
regulations of the governing organization of the extracurricular activity.
���� In the event that the
extracurricular activity involves participation in interscholastic athletics,
the home-schooled student is to demonstrate to the board of education that the
student did not transfer to a home education program for athletic advantage.
���� Under the bill, if the
extracurricular activity requires the completion of a physical examination or
medical test as a condition of participation and the school district of
residence offers the examination or test to the students enrolled in the school
district, then the school district is required to allow a home-schooled student
to access the examination or test and is publish the dates and times of the
examination or test on its website.
���� Finally, the bill requires the
Commissioner of Education to develop guidelines to assist school districts in
determining whether a home-schooled student is receiving equivalent instruction
in a home education program sufficient to be eligible to participate in
extracurricular activities at the resident school district.� The guidelines are
to be posted at an easily accessible location on the Department of Education�s
website, and on the website of each board of education.