Bill Text: NJ A101 | 2024-2025 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Provides excused absence for public school student who participates in musical performance at military funeral, including playing "Taps."
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Introduced) 2024-01-09 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Education Committee [A101 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2024-A101-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
221st LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2024 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman DONALD A. GUARDIAN
District 2 (Atlantic)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman Murphy
SYNOPSIS
Provides excused absence for public school student who participates in musical performance at military funeral, including playing "Taps."
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Act concerning excused absences for certain public school students and amending P.L.2015, c.297.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Section 1 of P.L.2015, c.297 (C.18A:36-13.2) is amended to read as follows:
1. a. Notwithstanding any law, rule, or regulation to the contrary, any pupil of a public school who is absent from school on:
(1) November 11, Veterans Day, attending a ceremony honoring a veteran or a member of the United States Armed Forces or the New Jersey National Guard returning from overseas deployments, or assisting a veteran at a hospital, food shelter, or any similar facility; or
(2) any school day participating in a musical performance at a military funeral honoring a veteran or a member of the United States Armed Forces or the New Jersey National Guard, including but not limited to, the playing of "Taps" in conjunction with a State or national veterans' organization,
shall have the absence for those reasons recorded as an excused absence on the pupil's attendance record or on that of any group or class of which he is a member. Any transcript, application, employment form, or any similar form on which information concerning a pupil's attendance record is requested shall show, with respect to absences, only absences other than excused absences authorized pursuant to this subsection. In making a determination on whether or not a student has a perfect attendance record for the school year, a school district shall not consider as an absence an excused absence authorized pursuant to this subsection.
b. A pupil shall provide such documentation as the superintendent or administrative principal of the school district deems necessary to prove the pupil meets the requirements for the excused absence under subsection a. of this section.
c. As used in this section, "veteran" means a person who has served on active duty in the Armed Forces of the United States and who was discharged or released therefrom under conditions other than dishonorable.
(cf: P.L.2015, c.297, s.1)
2. This act shall take effect in the first full school year following the date of enactment.
STATEMENT
This bill provides that any pupil of a public school who is absent from school on any day to participate in a musical performance at a military funeral honoring a veteran or a member of the United States Armed Forces or the New Jersey National Guard, including but not limited to, the playing of "Taps" in conjunction with a national veterans' organization, will have the absence recorded as an excused absence. Under the bill, the absence will be recorded as an excused absence on the pupil's attendance record or on that of any group or class of which he is a member. Any transcript, application, employment form, or any similar form on which information concerning a pupil's attendance record is requested will show only absences other than excused absences authorized under the bill.
