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Senate panel approves uncapped excused-absence option for students pursuing military enlistment after debate
Summary
The Senate Military and Veterans Affairs Committee released S3902 after hearing support from school boards and concern from principals over an uncapped excused-absence provision for military-related activities; sponsors said documentation requirements and academic obligations remain in place.
The New Jersey Senate Military and Veterans Affairs Committee voted to release S3902, a bill that would allow students who are enlisted or planning to enlist in the U.S. armed forces or National Guard to receive excused absences for recruitment and enlistment activities.
Supporters including Harrison Silver, legislative advocate for the New Jersey School Boards Association, said the proposal “supports our country's armed forces” while also expanding students’ opportunity to explore postsecondary and career pathways. Silver said the provision aligns military-related activities with other recognized school-excused reasons.
Jenny Lamont, assistant director of government relations for the New Jersey Principals and Supervisors Association, urged caution over proposed amendments that leave military-related absences uncapped. “So an uncapped number of absences, we don't see how that would do anything to increase a student's ability to enlist,” Lamont said, adding that unlimited excused days could create opportunities for truancy or abuse.
Sponsor and committee members pushed back that the bill’s documentation requirement limits misuse. The chair noted that schools will require certification from a recruiting command, and the sponsor said recruiters “would be committing a crime to falsely certify to the school for these reasons.” Committee members also stressed that students remain responsible for required coursework and graduation requirements even when absences are excused.
Committee members discussed compromises in the amended language to cap college and postsecondary technical-visit absences while leaving military-related enlistment activities without an arbitrary numeric cap, citing practical recruiting needs such as multiple delayed-entry visits, physicals at military entrance processing stations and parental consent logistics.
The committee released the bill as amended. A roll call recorded affirmative votes from the senators present and the chair declared the bill passed out of committee for further consideration.
The measure’s next step is the full Senate calendar for possible further action.
