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A2027
ASSEMBLY, No. 2027
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
222nd LEGISLATURE
�
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman SHAMA A. HAIDER
District 37 (Bergen)
SYNOPSIS
���� Eliminates US citizenship requirement for student
representatives on boards of trustees of certain public institutions of higher
education.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
���� Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative
Counsel.
��
An Act
concerning student representatives on the boards of
trustees of certain public institutions of higher education and amending
various parts of the statutory law.
����
Be It
Enacted
by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:
���� 1.��� Section 1 of P.L.1986,
c.139 (C.18A:64-3.1) is amended to read as follows:
���� 1.��� The board of trustees of
any State college established pursuant to chapter 64 of Title 18A of the New
Jersey Statutes shall provide for the election of two student representatives
as provided herein, who shall be full-time, regularly matriculated students in
good academic standing, and who shall be 18 years of age or older
[
and citizens
of the United States
]
,
to be elected by the students in the manner provided herein to serve on the
board of trustees of that college for terms of two years commencing at the next
organization of the board.�
���� a.��� In order to implement
the provisions of this section, each board of trustees shall schedule a public
hearing on the question of the student election.� After the public hearing, the
board, at its regularly scheduled meeting in March following the effective date
of this act, shall determine whether the students are to be elected by the
student body at large or by the members of the student government association.�
Except that, for Thomas
[
A.
]
Edison State
[
College
]
University
,
the method of the selection and the designation of eligible academic status of
the student representatives shall be determined by the board of that college.�
���� b.��� For the first election
held pursuant to this section, one student shall be elected for a one year term
as a full voting member, and one student shall be elected for two years, but
shall serve as an alternate member during the first year and as a voting member
during the second year.�
���� At each subsequent election,
one student shall be elected for two years, but shall serve during the first
year as an alternate member, and as a voting member during the second year.�
���� Any vacancies which occur
shall be filled by the student governing body for the unexpired term only.�
���� c.��� The standards for
eligibility for student representatives on the board of trustees shall be the
same as those required for other student government officers.�
���� d.��� The student members
shall be entitled to full participation in all activities of the board except
that they shall not participate in:�
���� (1)� Any matter involving the
employment, appointment, termination of employment, terms and conditions of
employment,
evaluation of the performance of,
promotion or disciplining of any specific prospective officer or employee or
current officer or employee employed or appointed by the board, unless all the
individual employees or appointees whose rights could be adversely affected
request in writing that the matter or matters be discussed at a public
meeting.�
���� (2)� Any matter involving the
purchase, lease, acquisition or sale of real property with public funds, the
setting of banking rates or investment of public funds, where it could
adversely affect the public interest if discussion of these matters were
disclosed.�
���� (3)� Any pending or
anticipated litigation in which the board is, or may become, a party, where it
could adversely affect the public interest if discussion of these matters were
disclosed, or any matters falling within the attorney-client privilege, to the
extent that confidentiality is required in order for the attorney to exercise
his ethical duties as a lawyer.�
���� e.��� Upon assuming office,
the students shall agree to adhere to such standards of responsibility and
confidentiality as are established by the board of trustees.�
(cf: P.L.1994, c.48, s.95)
���� 2.��� Section 40 of P.L.2012,
c.45 (C.18A:64M-8) is amended to read as follows:
���� 40.� The board of trustees of
the university shall provide for the election of two student representatives,
who shall be full-time, regularly matriculated students in good academic
standing, and who shall be 18 years of age or older
[
and citizens of the United States
]
. The student
representatives shall be elected by the members of the student government
association to serve on the board of trustees for terms of two years commencing
at the next organization of the board.
���� a.��� A student shall be
elected for a two-year term, but shall serve during the first year as an
alternate member, and as a voting member during the second year.
���� Any vacancies which occur
shall be filled by the student governing body for the unexpired term only.
���� b.��� The standards for
eligibility for student representatives on the board of trustees shall be the
same as those required for other student government officers.
���� c.��� The student members
shall be entitled to full participation in all activities of the board except
that they shall not participate in:
���� (1)� Any matter involving the
employment, appointment, termination of employment, terms and conditions of
employment, evaluation of the performance of, promotion or disciplining of any
specific prospective officer or employee or current officer or employee employed
or appointed by the board, unless all the individual employees or appointees
whose rights could be adversely affected request in writing that the matter or
matters be discussed at a public meeting;
���� (2)� Any matter involving the
purchase, lease, acquisition or sale of real property with public funds, the
setting of banking rates or investment of public funds, where it could
adversely affect the public interest if discussion of these matters were
disclosed; and
���� (3)� Any pending or
anticipated litigation in which the board is, or may become, a party, where it
could adversely affect the public interest if discussion of these matters were
disclosed, or any matters falling within the attorney-client privilege, to the
extent that confidentiality is required in order for the attorney to exercise
his ethical duties as a lawyer.
���� d.��� Upon assuming office,
the students shall agree to adhere to such standards of responsibility and
confidentiality as are established by the board of trustees.
(cf: P.L.2012, c.45, s.40)
���� 3.��� Section 8 of P.L.2017,
c.178 (C.18A:64N-8) is amended to read as follows:
���� 8.��� The board of trustees of
the university shall provide for the election of two student representatives,
who shall be full-time, regularly matriculated students in good academic
standing, and who shall be 18 years of age or older
[
and citizens of the United States
]
. The student
representatives shall be elected by the members of the student government
association to serve on the board of trustees for terms of two years commencing
at the next organization of the board.
���� a.��� A student shall be
elected for a two-year term, but shall serve during the first year as an
alternate member, and as a voting member during the second year.
���� Any vacancies which occur
shall be filled by the student governing body for the unexpired term only.
���� b.��� The standards for
eligibility for student representatives on the board of trustees shall be the
same as those required for other student government officers.
���� c.��� The student members
shall be entitled to full participation in all activities of the board except
that they shall not participate in:
���� (1)� Any matter involving the
employment, appointment, termination of employment, terms and conditions of
employment, evaluation of the performance of, promotion or disciplining of any
specific prospective officer or employee or current officer or employee employed
or appointed by the board, unless all the individual employees or appointees
whose rights could be adversely affected request in writing that the matter or
matters be discussed at a public meeting;
���� (2)� Any matter involving the
purchase, lease, acquisition or sale of real property with public funds, the
setting of banking rates or investment of public funds, where it could
adversely affect the public interest if discussion of these matters were
disclosed; and
���� (3)� Any pending or
anticipated litigation in which the board is, or may become, a party, where it
could adversely affect the public interest if discussion of these matters were
disclosed, or any matters falling within the attorney-client privilege, to the
extent that confidentiality is required in order for the attorney to exercise
his ethical duties as a lawyer.
���� d.��� Upon assuming office,
the students shall agree to adhere to such standards of responsibility and
confidentiality as are established by the board of trustees.
(cf: P.L.2017, c.178, s.8)
���� 4.��� Section 8 of P.L.2021,
c.282 (C.18A:64O-8) is amended to read as follows:
���� 8.��� The board of trustees of
the university shall provide for the election of two student representatives,
who shall be full-time, regularly matriculated students in good academic
standing, and who shall be 18 years of age or older
[
and citizens of the United States
]
.� The student
representatives shall be elected by the members of the student government
association to serve on the board of trustees for terms of two years commencing
at the next organization of the board.
���� a.��� A student shall be
elected for a two-year term, but shall serve during the first year as an
alternate member, and as a voting member during the second year.
���� Any vacancies which occur
shall be filled by the student governing body for the unexpired term only.
���� b.��� The standards for
eligibility for student representatives on the board of trustees shall be the
same as those required for other student government officers.
���� c.��� The student members
shall be entitled to full participation in all activities of the board except
that they shall not participate in:
���� (1)� any matter involving the
employment, appointment, termination of employment, terms and conditions of
employment, evaluation of the performance of, promotion or disciplining of any
specific prospective officer or employee or current officer or employee employed
or appointed by the board, unless all the individual employees or appointees
whose rights could be adversely affected request in writing that the matter or
matters be discussed at a public meeting;
���� (2)� any matter involving the
purchase, lease, acquisition or sale of real property with public funds, the
setting of banking rates or investment of public funds, where it could
adversely affect the public interest if discussion of these matters were
disclosed; and
���� (3)� any pending or
anticipated litigation in which the board is, or may become, a party, where it
could adversely affect the public interest if discussion of these matters were
disclosed, or any matters falling within the attorney-client privilege, to the
extent that confidentiality is required in order for the attorney to exercise
the attorney's ethical duties as a lawyer.
���� d.��� Upon assuming office,
the students shall agree to adhere to such standards of responsibility and
confidentiality as are established by the board of trustees.
(cf: P.L.2021, c.282, s.8)
���� 5.��� This act shall take
effect immediately.
STATEMENT
���� This bill eliminates the
citizenship requirement for student representatives on boards of trustees of
certain public institution of higher education.
���� Under current law, the boards
of trustees of the State colleges and three of the State�s public research
universities, Rowan University, Montclair State University, and Kean
University, are required to include two student representatives elected by the
student body or student government association, as applicable.� Currently, the
statutes governing these public institutions of higher education require each
student representative to be a citizen of the United States.� Under this bill,
a student representative would no longer be required to be a United States
citizen.