S 1340 New Jersey Senate · 2026-2027 Regular Session

Requires Commissioner of Education to develop guidance on accommodations for certain students fasting for religious or medical reasons.*

This bill allows public high school students in New Jersey who observe Ramadan to opt out of required physical education classes and sports participation during the holy month. Students may substitute PE with an instructional course or study hall (earning equivalent graduation credits) by submitting written notice to their principal before scheduling. Student-athletes may also be excused from sports or cheerleading programs by notifying their coach, with coaches prohibited from penalizing such absences. The policy specifically accommodates Muslim students' religious obligation to fast during Ramadan, without exempting them from other required health education courses.

Issues: ✓ Education

Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2026

Committee Review

Jun 2026

Senate Passage

May 2026

General Assembly Passage

Governor

Introduced Jan 13, 2026 Last action Jun 15, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

Senate Committee Substitute → Reprint Of Substitute · 6 edits

MODERATE

The bill, which requires the Commissioner of Education to develop guidance on accommodations for fasting students, was amended by the Assembly Education Committee. The most significant change is a new provision explicitly limiting school authority: schools cannot alter state graduation requirements, preclude fasting students from meeting local graduation requirements due to accommodations, or require extra work to make up for accommodations. The timeline for publishing the guidance was extended from 180 days to one year.

Scope change

The bill's scope was narrowed in several ways: model policies on attendance, health, hydration, nutrition, and wellness were removed from required guidance content; the reference to instructional activities was dropped; and a new limitation was added preventing schools from using accommodations as a basis to alter graduation requirements or impose extra work on fasting students.

REQUIREMENT

A new subsection (c) was added stating that nothing in the bill gives public schools authority to: (1) alter state graduation requirements for fasting students unless covered by an IEP or other law, (2) preclude a fasting student from meeting local graduation requirements as a result of accommodations, or (3) require a fasting student to complete additional schoolwork or instructional time to meet local graduation requirements.

TIMELINE

The deadline for the Department of Education to make the guidance publicly available on its website was extended from 180 days to one year after the effective date of the act.

SCOPE

The requirement that guidance include 'model policies concerning matters related to student fasting, including attendance, health, hydration, nutrition, and student wellness' (former subsection b(3)) was deleted entirely.

Subsection b(4) was rewritten from 'methods by which school districts may address graduation credit requirements and course participation requirements' to 'strategies to support students who are fasting for religious or medical reasons without adversely affecting the students' academic standing or access to instruction aligned with the New Jersey Student Learning Standards.'

Subsection b(2) was narrowed from covering 'instructional or physical activities' to only 'physical activities,' removing the reference to instructional activities.

TECHNICAL

The version header changed from 'Substitute as adopted by the Senate Education Committee' to 'As reported by the Assembly Education Committee on June 15, 2026, with amendments,' reflecting the bill's progression through the legislative process.

Introduced → Senate Committee Substitute · 7 edits

MODERATE

The bill was substantially rewritten from a targeted measure allowing high school students to opt out of PE and sports during Ramadan into a broader directive requiring the Commissioner of Education to develop guidance on accommodations for any student fasting for religious or medical reasons. Instead of creating specific student rights with defined procedures, the substitute delegates implementation to administrative guidance, giving schools more flexibility but removing guaranteed protections.

SCOPE

The bill's subject expanded from a specific accommodation for Ramadan observance in high school PE and sports to a general requirement for the state to develop guidance on accommodations for students fasting for religious or medical reasons at any public school level.

REQUIREMENT

The original provision allowing a student to substitute PE with an instructional course or study hall during Ramadan, with equal graduation credits, was removed entirely.

A new requirement that the Commissioner of Education, in consultation with the Commissioner of Health, develop and distribute guidance to public schools covering scheduling flexibility, differentiated instruction, model policies on attendance/health/hydration/nutrition/wellness, graduation credit handling, parent communication, and professional development for staff.

ELIGIBILITY

The specific right for student-athletes to be excused from interscholastic sports, intramural sports, and cheerleading during Ramadan, along with the prohibition on coaches penalizing them, was removed.

TIMELINE

The Department of Education must make the guidance publicly available on its website within 180 days of the act's effective date.

The effective date provision was simplified from 'immediately and shall first apply to the first full academic year following enactment' to simply 'immediately.'

TECHNICAL

The statutory supplement changed from chapters 35 and 40 of Title 18A (education curriculum and athletics) to chapter 6 of Title 18A (Department of Education), reflecting the shift from direct student rights to administrative guidance.

Floor votes

How they voted

This bill passed the Senate by voice vote (no roll call recorded).

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Jun 15, 2026

Committee

Reported out of Asm. Comm. with Amendments, and Referred to Assembly Community Development and Women's Affairs Committee

lower

May 28, 2026

Committee

Received in the Assembly, Referred to Assembly Education Committee

lower

May 28, 2026

Upper · Passed

Passed by the Senate (36-0)

upper

Jan 13, 2026

Introduced

Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Education Committee

upper

2 primary · 4 co-sponsors