Bill Text: NJ A4901 | 2026-2027 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Establishes State Seal of Civic Readiness to recognize certain students attaining high level of proficiency in civics.
Sponsorship: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 6-1)
Status: (Introduced) 2026-05-07 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Education Committee [A4901 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2026-A4901-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman MAUREEN ROWAN
District 2 (Atlantic)
Assemblyman ANTHONY ANGELOZZI
District 8 (Atlantic and Burlington)
Assemblyman KENYATTA STEWART
District 35 (Bergen and Passaic)
SYNOPSIS
Establishes State Seal of Civic Readiness to recognize certain students attaining high level of proficiency in civics.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act establishing the State Seal of Civic Readiness and supplementing Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. The State Seal of Civic Readiness is established to recognize high school graduates who have attained a high level of proficiency in civic knowledge, skills, and applied engagement. The State Seal of Civic Readiness shall be awarded by the local board of education to graduating high school seniors who meet the criteria established by the State Board of Education pursuant to subsection b. of this section. School district participation in this program shall be voluntary.
b. The State Board of Education shall promulgate rules pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), establishing criteria for the award of a State Seal of Civic Readiness. The criteria shall build directly upon the State's existing high school graduation requirements in social studies or any other subject area and shall not establish additional high school graduation requirements. The criteria shall provide multiple flexible pathways and be designed to ensure equitable access for students in every school district by utilizing existing school, district, and community resources. The criteria shall require a student to demonstrate:
(1) proficiency in civic knowledge, including the United States Constitution, the New Jersey Constitution, the federal and State legislative process, and constitutional rights and civil liberties, through successful performance in relevant social studies coursework consistent with existing graduation requirements or through other State-required assessments;
(2) voluntary engagement in approved community service or an extracurricular activity with a civic focus, including:
(a) volunteering for a charitable or religious organization that provides services to the poor or sick;
(b) participating in Scouting America, Girl Scouts, Model Congress, the American Mock Trail Association, or similar youth organizations;
(c) participating in Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps or the Civil Air Patrol;
(d) participating in political campaigns, government internships, or civic or legislative programming;
(e) participating in school-sponsored extracurricular activities with a focus in civics; or
(f) enlisting in the United States Armed Forces prior to graduation; and
(3) completion of a capstone project or portfolio relating to citizenship in the community.
c. The Commissioner of Education shall prepare and deliver to participating school districts a certificate to be awarded to the student and an appropriate insignia to be affixed to the transcript of the student indicating that the student has been awarded the State Seal of Civic Readiness. The commissioner shall also provide any information the commissioner deems necessary for a school district to successfully participate in the program. A participating school district shall maintain appropriate records in order to identify students who have earned the State Seal of Civic Readiness and shall award the certificate and affix the appropriate insignia to a qualifying student's transcript.
d. The commissioner shall submit a report to the Governor, and the Legislature pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), by September 1 of each school year that includes the number of students awarded the State Seal of Civic Readiness in the previous school year.
2. This act shall take effect immediately and shall first apply to the second full school year following the date of enactment.
STATEMENT
This bill establishes the State Seal of Civic Readiness to recognize high school graduates who have attained a high level of proficiency in civic knowledge, skills, and applied engagement. Under the bill, the State Seal of Civic Readiness would be awarded by the local board of education to graduating high school seniors who meet criteria established by the State Board of Education. The bill provides that school district participation in this program is voluntary.
The bill requires the State Board of Education to promulgate rules establishing criteria for the award of a State Seal of Civic Readiness. The criteria would build directly upon the State's existing high school graduation requirements in social studies or any other subject area and would not establish additional high school graduation requirements. The criteria would provide multiple flexible pathways and is required to be designed to ensure equitable access for students in every school district by utilizing existing school, district, and community resources. Under the bill the criteria would require a student to demonstrate:
(1) proficiency in civic knowledge, including the United States Constitution, the New Jersey Constitution, the federal and State legislative process, and constitutional rights and civil liberties, through successful performance in relevant social studies coursework consistent with existing graduation requirements or through other State-required assessments;
(2) voluntary engagement in an approved community service or extracurricular activity with a civic focus; and
(3) completion of a capstone project or portfolio relating to citizenship in the community.
The bill requires the Commissioner of Education to prepare and deliver to participating school districts a certificate to be awarded to the student and an appropriate insignia to be affixed to the student's transcript indicating the awarding of the State Seal of Civic Readiness. The commissioner would also provide any information the commissioner deems necessary for a school district to successfully participate in the program. The bill requires a participating school district to maintain appropriate records in order to identify students who have earned the State Seal of Civic Readiness and to award the certificate and affix the appropriate insignia to a qualifying student's transcript.
Finally, the bill requires the commissioner to submit a report to the Governor and the Legislature by September 1 of each school year that includes the number of students awarded the State Seal of Civic Readiness in the previous school year.
