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A2184
ASSEMBLY, No. 2184
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
222nd LEGISLATURE
�
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman SHANIQUE SPEIGHT
District 29 (Essex and Hudson)
Assemblywoman TENNILLE R. MCCOY
District 14 (Mercer and Middlesex)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblywomen Reynolds-Jackson and Haider
SYNOPSIS
���� Permits students experiencing menstrual disorder to
attend school remotely.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
���� Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative
Counsel.
��
An Act
concerning students with menstrual disorders and
supplementing chapter 36 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes.
����
Be It
Enacted
by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:
���� 1.� a.� As used in this
section:
���� �Dysmenorrhea� means a
disorder that causes severe and frequent menstrual cramps and pain during
menstruation.
���� �Endometriosis� means a
disorder that causes pelvic pain that is often associated with menstruation.
���� �Menorrhagia� means a disorder
that causes heavy or prolonged bleeding during menstruation, often accompanied
by a lack of energy.
���� �Polycystic ovary syndrome�
means a disorder that may cause cysts and irregular periods.
���� b.� Notwithstanding the
provisions of any law, rule, or regulation to the contrary, a student enrolled
in a school district experiencing symptoms of a menstrual disorder shall be
permitted to attend school through virtual or remote means, provided that the
student�s parent or guardian submits a written request for accommodation no
later than the start of the school day the accommodation is required.�
Menstrual disorders shall include, but are not limited to, dysmenorrhea,
endometriosis, menorrhea, and polycystic ovarian syndrome.
���� c.���� A parent or guardian
shall provide any medical documentation as the principal of the school in which
the student is enrolled deems necessary to prove the student meets the
requirements for virtual or remote instruction related to menstrual disorders
under subsection b. of this section.
���� d.��� If a student attends a
day of virtual or remote instruction while experiencing symptoms of a menstrual
disorder, it shall be considered the equivalent of a full day of school
attendance for the purposes of meeting State and local graduation requirements or
the awarding of course credit.
���� 2.��� The Commissioner of
Education, in consultation with the Commissioner of Health, shall provide
school districts with criteria for defining authorized virtual or remote
instruction days related to a menstrual disorder.
���� 3.��� This act shall take
effect immediately.
STATEMENT
���� This bill permits a student
enrolled in a school district to attend school through virtual or remote means
while experiencing symptoms of a menstrual disorder. The student�s parent or
guardian will submit a written request for accommodation no later than the
start of the school day the accommodation is required.� Under the bill,
menstrual disorders include, but are not limited to, dysmenorrhea,
endometriosis, menorrhea, and polycystic ovarian syndrome.
���� A parent or guardian will
provide medical documentation, as required by the principal of the school in
which the student is enrolled, to prove the student meets the requirements for
virtual or remote instruction related to menstrual disorders.� Under the bill,
a day of virtual or remote instruction will be considered the equivalent of a
full day of school attendance for the purposes of meeting State and local
graduation requirements or the awarding of course credit.
���� Also under the bill, the
Commissioner of Education, in consultation with the Commissioner of Health,
will provide school districts with criteria for defining an excused absence
from school related to a menstrual disorder.
���� Menstrual disorders, and the
pain and discomfort associated with them, are often cited as the reason
menstruating students miss school days.� Menstrual disorders are also fairly
common; one in five menstruating students experience menorrhagia, and nearly 70
percent of menstruating students experience dysmenorrhea.� Students who attend
class while experiencing a menstrual disorder often report classroom
performance or concentration being negatively affected.� Additionally, nearly
one third of students who menstruate report missing at least one day of school
while experiencing menstruation.