Bill Text: NJ A1982 | 2024-2025 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Permits students experiencing menstrual disorder to attend school remotely.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 4-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-01-09 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Education Committee [A1982 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2024-A1982-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
221st LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2024 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman SHANIQUE SPEIGHT
District 29 (Essex and Hudson)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblywomen Reynolds-Jackson and Haider
SYNOPSIS
Permits students experiencing menstrual disorder to attend school remotely.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Act concerning students with menstrual disorders 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. a. As used in this section:
"Dysmenorrhea" means a disorder that causes severe and frequent menstrual cramps and pain during menstruation.
"Endometriosis" means a disorder that causes pelvic pain that is often associated with menstruation.
"Menorrhagia" means a disorder that causes heavy or prolonged bleeding during menstruation, often accompanied by a lack of energy.
"Polycystic ovary syndrome" means a disorder that may cause cysts and irregular periods.
b. Notwithstanding the provisions of any law, rule, or regulation to the contrary, a student enrolled in a school district experiencing symptoms of a menstrual disorder shall be permitted to attend school through virtual or remote means, provided that the student's parent or guardian submits a written request for accommodation no later than the start of the school day the accommodation is required. Menstrual disorders shall include, but are not limited to, dysmenorrhea, endometriosis, menorrhea, and polycystic ovarian syndrome.
c. A parent or guardian shall provide any medical documentation as the principal of the school in which the student is enrolled deems necessary to prove the student meets the requirements for virtual or remote instruction related to menstrual disorders under subsection b. of this section.
d. If a student attends a day of virtual or remote instruction while experiencing symptoms of a menstrual disorder, it shall be considered the equivalent of a full day of school attendance for the purposes of meeting State and local graduation requirements or the awarding of course credit.
2. The Commissioner of Education, in consultation with the Commissioner of Health, shall provide school districts with criteria for defining authorized virtual or remote instruction days related to a menstrual disorder.
3. This act shall take
effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill permits a student enrolled in a school district to attend school through virtual or remote means while experiencing symptoms of a menstrual disorder. The student's parent or guardian will submit a written request for accommodation no later than the start of the school day the accommodation is required. Under the bill, menstrual disorders include, but are not limited to, dysmenorrhea, endometriosis, menorrhea, and polycystic ovarian syndrome.
A parent or guardian will provide medical documentation, as required by the principal of the school in which the student is enrolled, to prove the student meets the requirements for virtual or remote instruction related to menstrual disorders. Under the bill, a day of virtual or remote instruction will be considered the equivalent of a full day of school attendance for the purposes of meeting State and local graduation requirements or the awarding of course credit.
Also under the bill, the Commissioner of Education, in consultation with the Commissioner of Health, will provide school districts with criteria for defining an excused absence from school related to a menstrual disorder.
Menstrual disorders, and the pain and discomfort associated with them, are often cited as the reason menstruating students miss school days. Menstrual disorders are also fairly common; one in five menstruating students experience menorrhagia, and nearly 70 percent of menstruating students experience dysmenorrhea. Students who attend class while experiencing a menstrual disorder often report classroom performance or concentration being negatively affected. Additionally, nearly one third of students who menstruate report missing at least one day of school while experiencing menstruation.
