Bill Text: NJ S4385 | 2026-2027 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Requires school districts to permit students excused absences for student illness.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1)
Status: (Introduced) 2026-06-01 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Education Committee [S4385 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2026-S4385-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Senator VIN GOPAL
District 11 (Monmouth)
SYNOPSIS
Requires school districts to permit students excused absences for student illness.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning student attendance 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. A school district in developing, adopting, and implementing policies and procedures regarding attendance of students at school shall define an excused absence from school to include an absence for an illness of the student, provided that the parent or guardian of the student submits supporting documentation to the school district upon the student's return to school in accordance with subsection b. of this section.
b. The Commissioner of Education, in consultation with the Commissioner of Health, shall develop guidelines on defining an excused absence from school for a student's illness. The guidelines shall include the supporting documentation that may be required by the school district upon the student's return to school after an absence for an illness for the absence to be considered an excused absence.
2. This act shall take effect on the first day of the first full school year next following the date of enactment, except that the Commissioner of Education may take any anticipatory administrative action in advance as may be necessary for the implementation of this act.
STATEMENT
This bill requires school districts to permit students excused absences for student illness.
Under the bill, a school district in developing, adopting, and implementing policies and procedures regarding attendance of students at school is required to define an excused absence from school to include an absence for an illness of the student, provided that the parent or guardian of the student submits supporting documentation to the school district upon the student's return to school.
The Commissioner of Education, in consultation with the Commissioner of Health, will develop guidelines on defining an excused absence from school for a student's illness. The guidelines will include the supporting documentation that may be required by the school district upon the student's return to school after an absence for an illness for the absence to be considered an excused absence.
