Establishes grant program in DOE for school districts to implement animal therapy programs.

A4205

ASSEMBLY, No. 4205

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

INTRODUCED FEBRUARY 19, 2026

Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman� CAROL A. MURPHY

District 7 (Burlington)

SYNOPSIS

���� Establishes grant program in DOE for school districts
to implement animal therapy programs.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� As introduced.

��

An Act

establishing a grant program in the Department
of Education for school district animal therapy programs and supplementing
chapter 6 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. �The Commissioner of
Education shall establish a grant program to provide funding to school
districts seeking to offer the services of therapy animals in their wellness
centers or student counseling offices.�

���� b.� A school district that
seeks to participate in the program shall submit an application to the
commissioner.� The application shall include: how the district plans to use
therapy animals to promote student wellness; proof of a school district policy
which provides guidelines that protect the health and safety of the students
and staff, as well as the therapy animals; and such other information as deemed
appropriate by the commissioner.�

���� c.� The commissioner shall
annually select two school districts in each of the southern, central, and
northern regions of the State to participate in the program and shall seek a
cross section of school districts from urban, suburban, and rural areas of the
State. The commissioner shall establish the amount for each grant that is
approved, based upon the availability of funds. �

���� d.� A school district that
receives a grant under the program shall permit a teacher employed in the
school district to use the teacher�s own therapy animal for the program,
provided that the teacher has been approved to do so by the principal.� Funding
provided to the school district under the grant program may be used to pay any
training fees for the teacher and the teacher�s therapy animal necessary to
meet the school district�s requirements for providing therapy animal services.

���� e.� The commissioner shall
provide school districts with guidance regarding the use of therapy animals in
schools including: recommended training requirements for therapy animal
handlers; recommended measures to evaluate the health and appropriate behavior
of therapy animals; and insurance issues relevant to having therapy animals on
school district property.

���� f.� Each school district that
receives a grant under the program shall prepare and submit to the commissioner
annually a report on its experience with, and the effects of, the program.� The
report shall include, to the greatest extent feasible, quantifiable measures of
the impact of therapy animals on student well-being and learning.�

���� g.� The commissioner shall
submit annually a report to the Governor, and to the Legislature pursuant to
section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), containing information on the
implementation of the grant program.� The report shall include relevant
information from the reports submitted to the commissioner by the grant
recipients pursuant to subsection e. of this section.

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

STATEMENT

���� This bill requires the
Commissioner of Education to establish a grant program to provide funding to
school districts that seek to offer the services of therapy animals in their
wellness centers or student counseling offices.�

���� Under the bill, a school
district seeking to participate in the program is required to submit an
application to the commissioner.� The application is to include: how the
district plans to use therapy animals to promote student wellness; proof of a
school district policy which provides guidelines that protect the health and
safety of the students and staff, as well as the therapy animals; and such
other information as deemed appropriate by the commissioner.

���� The commissioner is to select
two school districts in each of the southern, central, and northern regions of
the State to participate in the program and is to seek a cross section of
school districts from urban, suburban, and rural areas of the State.� The
commissioner is required to establish the amount for each grant, based upon the
availability of funds.

���� A school district that
receives a grant under the program is required to permit a teacher in the
school district to use the teacher�s own therapy animal for the program.� The
bill also provides that grant funding provided to the district may be used to pay
any training fees for the teacher and the teacher�s therapy animal necessary to
meet the district�s requirements for providing therapy animal services.

���� The commissioner is to provide
districts with guidance regarding the use of therapy animals in schools
including: recommended training requirements for therapy animal handlers;
recommended measures to evaluate the health and appropriate behavior of therapy
animals; and insurance issues relevant to having therapy animals on school
district property.

���� School districts that
participate in the program will report annually to the commissioner on their
experience with, and the effects of, the program.� Based on these reports, the
commissioner will submit annually a report to the Governor and the Legislature
on the implementation of the program.�

���� According to the sponsor, the
supportive, non-judgmental companionship provided by animals has been shown to
provide a myriad of physiological and psychological benefits for students,
including reduced feelings of stress and anxiety.