SENATE, No. 2962

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Senator RAJ MUKHERJI

District 32 (Hudson)

Senator CARMEN F. AMATO, JR.

District 9 (Ocean)

Co-Sponsored by:

Senators Singleton and Singer

SYNOPSIS

     Provides seniority service credit to educational support professionals for military service.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

     Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.

An Act concerning seniority of educational support professionals and supplementing chapter 28 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.  As used in this section, “educational support professional” means a school district employee other than a teaching staff member. 

     b.  In computing length of service for seniority purposes, every educational support professional who has served in the active military of the United States and is declared by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs to be eligible for federal veterans' benefits shall be entitled to receive equivalent years of employment or seniority credit, up to four years, for that service as if the professional had been employed for the same period of time at the school district.   Any military service shall be credited towards this employment or seniority credit, including service that occurred prior to the professional’s employment as an educational support professional. 

     2.  This act shall take effect immediately. 

STATEMENT

     Current law provides that a teaching staff member may receive up to four years of credit, in computing length of service for seniority purposes, for military service.  This bill provides a similar benefit to educational support professionals.

     This bill requires every educational support professional who has served in the active military of the United States and is declared by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs to be eligible for federal veterans' benefits to receive equivalent years of employment or seniority credit, up to four years, for that service as if the professional had been employed for the same period of time at the school district.   Any military service is to be credited towards this employment or seniority credit, including service that occurred prior to the professional’s employment as an educational support professional.