Requires State to reimburse school districts for costs of transporting homeless students.

A4228

ASSEMBLY, No. 4228

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

INTRODUCED FEBRUARY 19, 2026

Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman� CAROL A. MURPHY

District 7 (Burlington)

SYNOPSIS

���� Requires State to reimburse school districts for
costs of transporting homeless students.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� As introduced.

��

An Act
concerning the reimbursement of certain transportation
costs incurred by school districts and amending P.L.1989, c.290 and P.L.2015,
c.228.

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

���� 1.��� Section 3 of P.L.1989,
c.290 (C.18A:7B-12.1) is amended to read as follows:

���� 3.���
a.
� The district
of residence for a homeless child determined pursuant to section 19 of
P.L.1979, c.207 (C.18A:7B-12) shall be responsible for the education of the
homeless child.� The district of residence shall determine the educational
placement of the child after consulting with the parent or guardian.� This
determination shall be: a. to continue the child's education in the school
district of last attendance, b. to enroll the child in the district of
residence if the district of residence is not the district of last attendance,
or c. to enroll the child in the school district where the child is temporarily
living, whichever is in the child's best interest.� If the parent or guardian
objects to the determination made by the district of residence, the executive
county superintendent of schools shall be notified and within 48 hours shall
determine the placement of the child based on criteria established by the State
Board of Education.� Any appeals regarding the determination shall be resolved
according to rules established by the State Board of Education.

���� When the homeless child
attends school in a district other than the district of residence, the district
of residence shall pay the costs of tuition for the child to attend school in
that district
[
and
shall pay for any transportation costs incurred by that district
]
; except that
in the case of a child who has resided in a domestic violence shelter, homeless
shelter, or transitional living facility located in a district other than the
district of residence for more than one year, the State shall pay the costs of
tuition for the child to attend school in that district.� When the homeless
child attends school in the district of residence while temporarily residing in
another district, the district of residence shall provide for transportation to
and from school
[

pursuant to the provisions of N.J.S.18A:58-7
]
.

����
b.��� The State shall
reimburse the district that provides transportation to and from school to a homeless
child pursuant to subsection a. of this section for the costs of transporting
the child.

(cf: P.L.2017, c.83, s.2)

���� 2.��� Section 1 of P.L.2015,
c.228 (C.18A:7B-12.3) is amended to read as follows:

���� 1.��� Notwithstanding the
provisions of N.J.S.18A:38-1, section

19 of P.L.1979, c.207
(C.18A:7B-12), or section 3 of P.L.1989, c.290 (C.18A:7B-12.1), or any other
section of law to the contrary, any student who moves from one school district
to another as a result of being homeless due to an act of terrorism or due to a
natural disaster which results in the declaration of a State of emergency or
disaster by the State or by the federal government, may continue to enroll in
the school district in which the parent or guardian last resided prior to
becoming homeless for up to two full school years after the act of terrorism or
natural disaster; and during the two-year period, if the student is enrolled in
the district in which the parent or guardian last resided prior to becoming
homeless and the student's parent or guardian remains homeless for that period,
the student shall attend that district tuition-free and that district shall
provide the student transportation to and from school.�
The State shall
reimburse the district for the costs of transporting the student.

(cf: P.L.2015, c.228, s.1)

���� 3.��� This act shall take
effect on July 1 next following the date of enactment.

STATEMENT

���� Under current law, a homeless
student�s district of residence is responsible for paying for any costs of
transporting the student to and from school.� This bill provides that the State
will reimburse the school district for these costs.