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A1765 • 2026

Provides that institutions of higher education may permit final-year students in graduate degree programs for mental health care professions to graduate or be matched with residency or clinical programs early.

Provides that institutions of higher education may permit final-year students in graduate degree programs for mental health care professions to graduate or be matched with residency or clinical programs early.

Education
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Verrelli, Anthony S.
Last action
2026-01-13
Official status
Introduced, Referred to Assembly Higher Education Committee
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Provides that institutions of higher education may permit final-year students in graduate degree programs for mental health care professions to graduate or be matched with residency or clinical programs early.

Provides that institutions of higher education may permit final-year students in graduate degree programs for mental health care professions to graduate or be matched with residency or clinical programs early.

What This Bill Does

  • Provides that institutions of higher education may permit final-year students in graduate degree programs for mental health care professions to graduate or be matched with residency or clinical programs early.
  • Topic: Higher Education Fiscal note: This bill has not been certified by OLS for a fiscal note.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

  1. 2026-01-13 New Jersey Legislature

    Introduced, Referred to Assembly Higher Education Committee

Official Summary Text

Provides that institutions of higher education may permit final-year students in graduate degree programs for mental health care professions to graduate or be matched with residency or clinical programs early.
Topic:
Higher Education
Fiscal note:
This bill has not been certified by OLS for a fiscal note.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
A1765

ASSEMBLY, No. 1765

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Assemblyman ANTHONY S. VERRELLI

District 15 (Hunterdon and Mercer)

Co-Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman Reynolds-Jackson, Assemblyman Greenwald,
Assemblywoman Swain and Assemblyman Tully

SYNOPSIS

���� Provides that institutions of higher education may
permit final-year students in graduate degree programs for mental health care
professions to graduate or be matched with residency or clinical programs
early.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative
Counsel.

��

An Act
concerning
the demand for mental health care
professionals as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic
.

����
Be It
Enacted
by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:

����� 1.�
a.� Notwithstanding any law or regulation to the contrary, for the 2020-2021
and 2021-2022 academic years, an institution of higher education, at its
discretion, may permit a final-year student in a graduate degree program
leading to a degree as a mental health care professional to graduate early or
to be matched with a residency or clinical program early provided that:

����� (1)� the
student has completed all required coursework; and

����� (2)� the
institution appoints a staff member to mentor the student during participation
in the residency or clinical program.

���� b.��� As
used in this section, �mental health care professional� means a licensed
psychiatrist, psychologist, professional counselor, clinical social worker,
marriage and family therapist, or any other individual licensed or certified by
this State to provide or administer mental health care in the ordinary course
of business or practice of a profession.

���� 2.��� This act shall take
effect immediately.

STATEMENT

���� The COVID-19 pandemic is
causing a national mental health crisis.� In order to help address this
situation, this bill provides that for the 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 academic
years, institutions of higher education, at their discretion, may permit
final-year students in graduate degree programs leading to a degree as a mental
health care professional to graduate early or to be matched with a residency or
clinical program early provided that:

���� (1)�� the student has
completed all required coursework; and

���� (2)�� the institution appoints
a staff member to mentor the student during participation in the residency or
clinical program.

���� The bill defines a �mental
health care professional� as a licensed psychiatrist, psychologist,
professional counselor, clinical social worker, marriage and family therapist,
or any other individual licensed or certified to provide or administer mental
health care in the ordinary course of business or practice of a profession.