S2579 • 2026

Permits spouses and dependents of military service members to qualify for in-State tuition in event that service member is transferred to another state.

Budget

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Gopal, Vin
Last action: 2026-05-21
Official status: Referred to Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Permits spouses and dependents of military service members to qualify for in-State tuition in event that service member is transferred to another state.

What This Bill Does

Permits spouses and dependents of military service members to qualify for in-State tuition in event that service member is transferred to another state.
Topic: Budget and Appropriations Fiscal note: This bill has been certified by OLS for a fiscal note.

Limits and Unknowns

This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

2026-05-21 New Jersey Legislature
Reported from Senate Committee, 2nd Reading
2026-05-21 New Jersey Legislature
Referred to Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee
2026-01-13 New Jersey Legislature
Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Military and Veterans' Affairs Committee

Official Summary Text

Permits spouses and dependents of military service members to qualify for in-State tuition in event that service member is transferred to another state.
Topic:
Budget and Appropriations
Fiscal note:
This bill has been certified by OLS for a fiscal note.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

S2579 TR

SENATE, No. 2579

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Senator VIN GOPAL

District 11 (Monmouth)

Senator VINCENT J. POLISTINA

District 2 (Atlantic)

Co-Sponsored by:

Senator Space

SYNOPSIS

���� Permits spouses and dependents of military service
members to qualify for in-State tuition in event that service member is
transferred to another state.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� As reported by the Senate Military and Veterans'
Affairs Committee with technical review.

��

An Act

concerning in-State tuition rates for certain
students attending public institutions of higher education and amending P.L.1985,
c.231.

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

���� 1.��� Section 1 of P.L.1985,
c.231 (C.18A:62-4.1) is amended to read as follows:�

���� 1.��� a. United States
military personnel and their
spouses and
dependents who are living in
New Jersey and are attending public institutions of higher education in New
Jersey shall be regarded as residents of the State for the purpose of
determining tuition.

����
In the event that a United
States military service member is relocated out of the State due to the service
member�s continued military service, the service member�s spouse or dependent
shall continue to be regarded as residents of the State for the purpose of
determining tuition provided that: (1) the spouse or dependent was enrolled in
a public institution of higher education in New Jersey prior to the service
member�s relocation; and (2) the spouse or dependent� maintains continuous
enrollment at the public institution of higher education.

���� b.��� A dependent child of
United States military personnel who attended high school in New Jersey for a
minimum of three years shall be regarded by a public institution of higher
education in New Jersey as a resident of the State for the purpose of
determining tuition, regardless of where the dependent child resides upon
enrollment in the institution.

(cf: P.L.2021, c.49, s.1)

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