New Jersey 222nd Legislature Status: Introduced

A 5493 — "Student-Parent Protection Act"; ensures equal rights and opportunities for parenting students enrolled in institutions of higher education.

Last action — REP 2RA

  1. 1
    Introduced
  2. 2
    In Committee
  3. 3
    Passed General Assembly
  4. 4
    Passed Senate
  5. 5
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill has been introduced in the General Assembly. Introduced September 14, 2026. It must pass committee before a floor vote.

Next likely step: a committee referral and hearing.

Odds of enactment

Low chance

Based on the sponsor, cosponsors, and committee posture, this bill has a low chance of becoming law.

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A statistical estimate from our own model of past outcomes — an insight, not a guarantee. Policymaking is volatile.

Prognosis

Stalled 28% · moderate confidence

  • Introduced

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 2 sponsors

    2 primary, 0 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Cleared a recorded vote

    Passed 1 recorded vote so far.

Based on stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes, and cross-state momentum — a description of the observable signals, not a prediction.

In plain language

The bill ensures equal rights and opportunities for parenting students in higher education.

This bill focuses on providing equal rights and opportunities to students who are also parents. It aims to make sure that parenting students can participate fully in their education without facing discrimination.

What this means for you
  • Families: This means parenting students can expect to receive the same support and opportunities as their peers without children.

Summary

Student-Parent Protection Act-ensure equal rights and opportunities

Bill Text

  • Introduced View text Current html September 15, 2026

How this bill changes current law

2 changes Share ↗

AI-generated reading aid from the bill's amendatory text — verify against the official bill.

This bill amends 2 section(s) of the New Jersey statutes: N.J.S.A. 18A:3B-74; N.J.S.A. 18A:3B-76.

  • N.J.S.A. 18A:3B-74

    need , such as , , , medically-necessary under under → parenting, , parenting or parenting or : (1) making including ; (2) parenting or ; (3) ; (4) for medical necessities and urgent caregiving obligations. The student shall provide to the instructor of the course any documentation as required by the institution of higher education for the absence to be excused parenting and parenting and pursuant to , and posted at an easily accessible location on the institution's Internet website d. As used in P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), "parenting student" means a student enrolled in an institution of higher education who is the parent or legal guardian of a child under 18 years of age.

    amended

  • N.J.S.A. 18A:3B-76

    c. An enrolled student in good academic standing who chooses to take a leave of absence because the student is parenting shall return to the associate, baccalaureate, or graduate program in good academic standing following a leave period consistent with the policies of the institution of higher education at which the student is enrolled or of up to one academic year, whichever period is longer, subject to the reasonable administrative requirements of the institution. d. Any student who takes a leave of absence pursuant to this section shall not be required to reapply for admission at the institution.

    amended

Action History

  1. REP 2RA

  2. INT 1RA REF AHI

Sponsors

  • Vincent M. Kearney · Primary
  • Carmen Theresa Morales · Primary

Sponsorship breakdown

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2 sponsors · 0 co-sponsors · 118 not signed on

Sponsors (2)

  • Kearney, Vincent M.
  • Morales, Carmen Theresa

Co-sponsors (0)

None.

Not signed on (118)

118 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 118 →

"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Votes

Subjects

civil-rights education
Cross-referencing the record. Reading this bill against every other bill in the corpus by meaning, not keywords. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Matching · Ranking · Engrossing

Frequently asked questions

What does A 5493 do?
Student-Parent Protection Act-ensure equal rights and opportunities
Who sponsors A 5493?
A 5493 is sponsored by Kearney, Vincent M. and Morales, Carmen Theresa.
What is the current status of A 5493?
This bill has been introduced in the General Assembly. Introduced September 14, 2026. It must pass committee before a floor vote.
Where can I track A 5493?
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