"Student-Parent Protection Act"; ensures equal rights and opportunities for parenting students enrolled in institutions of higher education.

S840 TR

SENATE, No. 840

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Senator ROBERT W. SINGER

District 30 (Monmouth and Ocean)

Senator� CARMEN F. AMATO, JR.

District 9 (Ocean)

SYNOPSIS

���� "Student-Parent Protection Act"; ensures
equal rights and opportunities for parenting students enrolled in institutions
of higher education.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� As reported by the Senate Higher Education Committee
with technical review.

��

An Act
concerning parenting discrimination in higher
education, and
supplementing and amending P.L.2016, c.
88.

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

���� 1.��� (New section) P.L.��� ,
c.���� (C.������� ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill) shall be
known and may be cited as the "Student-Parent Protection Act."

���� 2.��� Section 1 of P.L.2016,
c.88 (C.18A:3B-74) is amended to read as follows:

���� 1. a. An institution of higher
education offering associate, baccalaureate, or graduate degree programs shall
be prohibited from requiring a student to take a leave of absence, withdraw
from an associate, baccalaureate, or graduate program, or limit the student's
studies solely due to
parenting,
pregnancy
,
or pregnancy-related
issues.

���� b.��� An institution of higher
education offering associate, baccalaureate, or graduate degree programs shall
provide reasonable accommodations to a
parenting or
pregnant student to
enable the student to complete coursework and research. Reasonable
accommodations to a
parenting or
pregnant student shall include, but
[
need
]
not be
limited to
[
,
]

:

����
(1)� making
allowances
for the student's health and safety,
[
such
as
]

including

allowing the student to maintain a safe distance from hazardous substances
[
,
]

;

����
(2)
� allowing the
student to make up tests and assignments that are missed for
parenting or

pregnancy-related reasons
[
,
]

;

����
(3)
� allowing a student
to take a leave of absence
[
,
]

;
and

����
(4)
� excusing
[
medically-necessary
]
absences
for
medical necessities and urgent caregiving obligations.
The
student shall provide to the instructor of the course any documentation as
required by the institution of higher education for the absence to be excused
.

���� c.��� An institution of higher
education offering associate, baccalaureate, or graduate degree programs shall
develop and adopt a written policy for students on
parenting and
pregnancy
discrimination and procedures for addressing
parenting and
pregnancy
discrimination complaints
[
under
]

pursuant
to
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, 20 U.S.C. s.1681 et seq.
or
[
under
]
P.L.2016,
c.88 (C.18A:3B-74 et seq.).� A copy of the policy shall annually be made
available to all faculty, staff, and employees
, and posted at an easily
accessible location on the institution�s Internet website
. The policy shall
be distributed to all students attending orientation sessions at the
institution.

����
d.��� As used in P.L.��� ,
c.���� (C.������� ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), �parenting
student� means a
student enrolled in an institution
of higher education who is the parent or legal guardian of a child under 18
years of age.

(cf: P.L.2016, c.88, s.1)

���� 3.��� Section 3 of P.L.2016,
c.88 (C.18A:3B-76) is amended to read as follows:

���� 3. a. An enrolled student in
good academic standing who chooses to take a leave of absence because she is
pregnant or has recently given birth shall return to the associate,
baccalaureate, or graduate program in good academic standing following a leave
period consistent with the policies of the institution of higher education at
which the student is enrolled or of up to one academic year, whichever period
is longer, subject to the reasonable administrative requirements of the
institution, unless there is a medical reason for a longer absence, in which
case her standing in the associate, baccalaureate, or graduate program shall be
maintained during that period of absence.�

���� b.��� An enrolled student in
good academic standing who is not the birth parent and who chooses to take a
leave of absence because of the birth of the student's child shall return to
the associate, baccalaureate, or graduate program in good academic standing following
a leave period consistent with the policies of the institution of higher
education at which the student is enrolled, or of up to one month, whichever
period is longer, subject to the reasonable administrative requirements of the
institution.

����
c.��� An enrolled student
in good academic standing who chooses to take a leave of absence because the
student is parenting shall return to the associate, baccalaureate, or graduate
program in good academic standing following a leave period consistent with the
policies of the institution of higher education at which the student is
enrolled or of up to one academic year, whichever period is longer, subject to
the reasonable administrative requirements of the institution.

����
d.��� Any student who takes
a leave of absence pursuant to this section shall not be required to reapply
for admission at the institution.

(cf: P.L.2016, c.88, s.3)

���� 4.� This act shall take effect
immediately and shall first apply to the first full academic year following the
date of enactment.