[Second Reprint]
ASSEMBLY, No. 791
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
218th LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2018 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman BOB ANDRZEJCZAK
District 1 (Atlantic, Cape May and Cumberland)
Assemblyman R. BRUCE LAND
District 1 (Atlantic, Cape May and Cumberland)
Assemblywoman GABRIELA M. MOSQUERA
District 4 (Camden and Gloucester)
Assemblyman JOE DANIELSEN
District 17 (Middlesex and Somerset)
Assemblyman RAJ MUKHERJI
District 33 (Hudson)
Assemblywoman JOANN DOWNEY
District 11 (Monmouth)
Assemblyman ANDREW ZWICKER
District 16 (Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex and Somerset)
Senator JEFF VAN DREW
District 1 (Atlantic, Cape May and Cumberland)
Senator CHRIS A. BROWN
District 2 (Atlantic)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblymen Mazzeo, Benson, Assemblywoman Chaparro, Assemblyman Johnson, Assemblywomen Gove, Murphy, Assemblyman Conaway, Assemblywoman Pinkin, Assemblymen Space, Wirths, Freiman, Houghtaling, Assemblywoman DiMaso, Assemblyman Tully, Assemblywoman Swain, Assemblyman DeAngelo, Senators A.R.Bucco, T.Kean and Madden
SYNOPSIS
Requires institution of higher education to award appropriate credit for student’s military service.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As reported by the Senate Higher Education Committee on November 18, 2019, with amendments.
An Act concerning veterans 2and students in the military2 at 2[public]2 institutions of higher education and supplementing chapter 2[62] 3B2 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1[1. a. As used in this section, “veteran” means an individual who served on active duty in the Armed Forces of the United States, a Reserve component thereof, or the National Guard, and who was honorably discharged or released under honorable circumstances from active service.
b. A public institution of higher education shall adopt a policy to award academic credit to veterans. The policy shall grant a veteran who is accepted to pursue a course of study at the institution a minimum of six credits upon the veteran’s enrollment.]1
11. a. Each public and independent institution of higher education, after taking into account and giving due consideration to the credit recommendation of the American Council on Education, shall accept and apply towards an undergraduate degree program appropriate credit for a student’s military experience, following an evaluation and determination by the institution that the credits are in alignment with appropriate courses and correspond to the degree being pursued at the institution. The institution may award a maximum of 30 credits for military experience towards an undergraduate degree to a student enrolled in the institution.
Each public and independent institution of higher education, after taking into account and giving due consideration to the credit recommendation of the American Council on Education, shall accept and apply towards a graduate degree program appropriate credit for a student’s military experience, following an evaluation and determination by the institution that the credits are in alignment with appropriate courses and correspond to the degree being pursued at the institution. The institution may award a maximum of 12 credits for military experience towards a graduate degree to a student enrolled in the institution.
The credit recommendation of the American Council on Education 2[shall represent] represents2 college-level equivalencies based on a review of workforce training, military training or occupations, and other sources of learning outside the college classroom.
b. Nothing in this section shall be construed to require any public or independent institution of higher education to admit a student or to waive its admission standards and application procedures.
c. Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit a public or independent institution from accepting and applying towards a degree program more than 30 2undergraduate degree credits, or 12 graduate degree2 credits 2,2 for a student’s military experience should the institution choose to take such action.1
2. This act shall take effect immediately and shall first apply to the first full academic year following the date of enactment.