STATE OF NEW JERSEY
220th LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2022 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Senator NICHOLAS P. SCUTARI
District 22 (Middlesex, Somerset and Union)
Senator JAMES BEACH
District 6 (Burlington and Camden)
SYNOPSIS
Authorizes student attending institution of higher education to earn credit towards graduation for serving as poll worker.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Act concerning academic credit at institutions of higher education and supplementing chapter 3B 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. The Secretary of Higher Education, in consultation with the Director of the Division of Elections in the Department of State, shall develop guidelines for a program to allow a student enrolled in an institution of higher education to earn one academic credit for an undergraduate degree program for each full day that the student serves as a poll worker during an election held in the State.
b. An institution of higher education may award and apply towards an undergraduate degree program one academic credit to an enrolled student for each full day of service that the student serves as a poll worker during an election held in the State. An institution that determines to allow a student to receive academic credit for service as a poll worker, following an evaluation and determination by the institution that the credit is in alignment with the educational and programmatic mission of the institution, shall comply with the guidelines developed pursuant to subsection a. of this section.
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill directs the Secretary of Higher Education, in consultation with the Director of the Division of Elections in the Department of State, to develop guidelines for a program to allow a student enrolled in an institution of higher education to earn one academic credit for an undergraduate degree program for each full day that the student serves as a poll worker during an election held in the State. Under the bill, an institution may award and apply towards an undergraduate degree program one academic credit to an enrolled student for each full day of service that the student serves as a poll worker during an election held in the State. An institution that determines to allow a student to receive academic credit for service as a poll worker, following an evaluation and determination by the institution that the credit is in alignment with the educational and programmatic mission of the institution, is required to comply with the guidelines developed by the secretary.