SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

SENATE, No. 4203

with committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  DECEMBER 16, 2021

      The Senate Education Committee favorably reports Senate Bill No. 4203 with committee amendments.

      As amended, this bill eliminates the requirement that employees of a school district have their principal residence in this State.  This requirement was established by law in 2011 and currently applies to all public officers and employees in the State, with certain limited exceptions.  This bill retains the residency requirement for all other public officers and employees, but eliminates it for employees of a school district.  The bill also expressly provides that no provision of the law that establishes the residency requirement will be construed as requiring an employee of, or a person hired by, a school district, charter school, or renaissance school project to comply with the residency requirement.  Notwithstanding this elimination of the requirement that employees of school district have their principal residence in this State, the bill does require a school district, charter school, or renaissance school project seeking to fill an open position to make a good faith effort to hire a person who maintains a principal residence in the State for the open position.

COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS:

      The committee amended the bill to:

      (1)  amend the definition of school district to include an authority, board, body, agency, commission, or instrumentality of the district of any local or regional school district established pursuant to chapter 8 or chapter 13 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes; and

      (2)  require a school district, charter school, or renaissance school project seeking to fill an open position to make a good faith effort to hire a person who maintains a principal residence in this State for the open position.