"Parents' Bill of Rights Act"; requires public school and school district provide certain information to parents and guardians and obtain parental consent prior to taking certain actions.

A4812

ASSEMBLY, No. 4812

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

INTRODUCED MAY 4, 2026

Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman� DAWN FANTASIA

District 24 (Morris, Sussex and Warren)

Assemblyman� MICHAEL INGANAMORT

District 24 (Morris, Sussex and Warren)

Assemblyman� GERRY SCHARFENBERGER

District 13 (Monmouth)

SYNOPSIS

���� "Parents' Bill of Rights Act"; requires
public school and school district provide certain information to parents and
guardians and obtain parental consent prior to taking certain actions.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� As introduced.

��

An Act
concerning a parent�s rights over their child�s
education 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.��� This act shall be known
and may be cited as the �Parents� Bill of Rights Act.�

���� 2.��� a.� No public school or
school district shall interfere with or deny the parent or guardian of an
enrolled student the following rights:

���� (1)�� to fully review copies
of the curricula, books, and other educational materials used by the public
school or school district that are available to the student;

���� (2)�� to access, as permitted
by law, all records generated by the public school or school district that
concern the student;

���� (3)�� to access, as permitted
by law, the names and professional qualifications of teachers, guest lecturers,
and outside presenters who engage with students at the school the student
attends;

���� (4)�� to access, as permitted
by law, the names of any outside entity that collects and transmits data
concerning the student by the public school or school district, including any
outside entity, accreditor, marketing consultancy, or third-party clearinghouse
to which student data, whether anonymized or not, is transferred;

���� (5)�� to access, as permitted
by law, the names of all third-party individuals and organizations that receive
contracts or other funding through the public school or school district;

���� (6)�� to be heard at school
board meetings or other governance hearings pertaining to the public school or
school district;

���� (7)�� to be notified, as
permitted by law, of situations affecting the safety of the student at school,
that include, but are not limited to, the following incidents:

���� (a)�� physical assaults
occurring within 1000 feet of the school;

���� (b)�� sexual assaults
occurring within 1000 feet of the school;

���� (c)�� appearances of weapons
within 1000 feet of the school;

���� (d)�� drug use or possession
within 1000 feet of the school;

���� (e)�� police investigations
within 1000 feet of the school; and

���� (f)�� crimes, including
misdemeanors, for which a teacher or other public school or school district
employee have been charged, whether such offenses were committed on or off of
school or district property; and

���� (8)�� to visit, as permitted
by law, the student at school during school hours.

���� b.��� A public school shall,
prior to the start of each school year, provide the parent or guardian of an
enrolled student with the class syllabi and reading list for each class for
which the student is registered.

���� c.���� No public school or
school district may require a parent or guardian to sign a nondisclosure
agreement as a condition of accessing curricular materials, books, or other
educational materials.

���� d.��� A public school or
school district shall obtain written consent from a parent or guardian of an
enrolled student prior to:

���� (1)�� collecting biometric
data or other sensitive personal information from the student;

���� (2)�� permitting the
attendance of the student at a school assembly, field trip, or other
extracurricular activity; and

���� (3)�� using videographic,
photographic, or audio depictions of the student by the public school or school
district.

���� 3.��� a.� A parent or guardian
who is denied one or more of the rights identified in section 2 of this act may
bring a civil action in any court of competent jurisdiction for injunctive
relief.

���� b.��� If a school district or
public school threatens or denies one or more of the rights identified in
section 2 of this act, the Office of the Attorney General may seek an
injunction against the school district or public school.

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

STATEMENT

���� This bill establishes the
�Parents� Bill of Rights Act.�� The bill prohibits a public school or school
district from interfering with or denying the rights of parents and guardians
of enrolled students, including the right to review copies of the curricula,
books, and other educational materials used by the public school or school
district that are available to the student; the right to access, as permitted
by law, all records generated by the public school or school district that
concern the student, the names and professional qualifications of teachers,
guest lecturers, and outside presenters who engage with students at the school
attended by the student, the names of any outside entity that collects and
transmits data concerning the student by the public school or school district,
and the names of all third-party individuals and organizations that receive
contracts or other funding through the public school or school district; the
right to be heard at school board meetings or other governance hearings pertaining
to the public school or school district; the right to be notified, as permitted
by law, of certain situations affecting the safety of the student at school;
and the right, as permitted by law, to visit the student at school during
school hours.

���� Under the bill, a public
school is required, prior to the start of each school year, to provide the
parent or guardian of an enrolled student with the class syllabi and reading
list for each class for which the student is registered.� The bill prohibits public
schools and school districts from requiring a parent or guardian to sign a
nondisclosure agreement as a condition of accessing curricular materials,
books, or other educational materials.� The bill also requires public schools
and school districts to obtain written consent from a parent or guardian of an
enrolled student prior to collecting biometric data or other sensitive personal
information from the student; prior to permitting the attendance of the student
at a school assembly, field trip, or other extracurricular activity; and prior
to using videographic, photographic, or audio depictions of the student by the
public school or school district.

���� The bill provides that a
parent or guardian who is denied one or more of the rights identified under the
provisions of the bill may bring a civil action in any court of competent
jurisdiction for injunctive relief.� The bill also provides the Office of the
Attorney General with the authority to seek an injunction against the public
school or school district if the school or district threatens or denies one or
more of the rights identified in the bill.