Bill Text: NJ A1195 | 2018-2019 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Requires State to reimburse school districts for costs of transporting homeless students.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2018-01-09 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Education Committee [A1195 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2018-A1195-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
218th LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2018 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman PATRICIA EGAN JONES
District 5 (Camden and Gloucester)
SYNOPSIS
Requires State to reimburse school districts for costs of transporting homeless students.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Act concerning the reimbursement of certain transportation costs incurred by school districts and amending P.L.1989, c.290 and P.L.2015, c.228.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Section 3 of P.L.1989, c.290 (C.18A:7B-12.1) is amended to read as follows:
3. a. The district of residence for a homeless child determined pursuant to section 19 of P.L.1979, c.207 (C.18A:7B-12) shall be responsible for the education of the homeless child. The district of residence shall determine the educational placement of the child after consulting with the parent or guardian. This determination shall be: a. to continue the child's education in the school district of last attendance, b. to enroll the child in the district of residence if the district of residence is not the district of last attendance, or c. to enroll the child in the school district where the child is temporarily living, whichever is in the child's best interest. If the parent or guardian objects to the determination made by the district of residence, the executive county superintendent of schools shall be notified and within 48 hours shall determine the placement of the child based on criteria established by the State Board of Education. Any appeals regarding the determination shall be resolved according to rules established by the State Board of Education.
When the homeless child attends school in a district other than the district of residence, the district of residence shall pay the costs of tuition for the child to attend school in that district [and shall pay for any transportation costs incurred by that district]; except that in the case of a child who has resided in a domestic violence shelter or transitional living facility located in a district other than the district of residence for more than one year, the State shall pay the costs of tuition for the child to attend school in that district. When the homeless child attends school in the district of residence while temporarily residing in another district, the district of residence shall provide for transportation to and from school [pursuant to the provisions of N.J.S.18A:58-7].
b. The State shall reimburse the district that provides transportation to and from school to a homeless child pursuant to subsection a. of this section for the costs of transporting the child.
(cf: P.L.2012, c.80, s.2)
2. Section 1 of P.L.2015, c.228 (C.18A:7B-12.3) is amended to read as follows:
1. Notwithstanding the provisions of N.J.S.18A:38-1, section 19 of P.L.1979, c.207 (C.18A:7B-12), or section 3 of P.L.1989, c.290 (C.18A:7B-12.1), or any other section of law to the contrary, any student who moves from one school district to another as a result of being homeless due to an act of terrorism or due to a natural disaster which results in the declaration of a State of emergency or disaster by the State or by the federal government, may continue to enroll in the school district in which the parent or guardian last resided prior to becoming homeless for up to two full school years after the act of terrorism or natural disaster; and during the two-year period, if the student is enrolled in the district in which the parent or guardian last resided prior to becoming homeless and the student's parent or guardian remains homeless for that period, the student shall attend that district tuition-free and that district shall provide the student transportation to and from school. The State shall reimburse the district for the costs of transporting the student.
(cf: P.L.2015, c.228, s.1)
3. This act shall take effect on July 1 next following the date of enactment.
STATEMENT
Under current law, a homeless student's district of residence is responsible for paying for any costs of transporting the student to and from school. This bill provides that the State will reimburse the school district for these costs.
