Posted on January 22, 2026
Before the Murphy administration concluded, several critical pieces of legislation were signed into law.
- "Bell-to-Bell" Cell Phone Ban: Effective for the 2026-27 school year, this law restricts student phone use during school hours. The policy reflects recommendations from the Commission on the Effects of Social Media Usage on Adolescents, of which ACNJ was a member.
- Expanded Behavioral Health Access: New Jersey has now joined a growing movement to make preventive behavioral health services more accessible and recognize early relational health as foundational to children’s development. This landmark legislation allows Medicaid and state-regulated commercial plans to bill for preventive services (counseling, family guidance, and screenings) using "at-risk" Z-codes. This removes the requirement for a formal diagnosis to receive early relational health support.
- Expanded Job-Protected Family Leave: Job-protected leave is now more accessible thanks to the advocacy of New Jersey Citizen Action and the NJ Time to Care Coalition. Protections now apply to businesses with 15+ employees (down from 30). In addition, workers now qualify after just 3 months of employment.
- Chronic Absenteeism Task Force: A new task force has been established to examine the root causes of student absences and develop statewide strategies to improve public school attendance. Chronic absenteeism, defined as missing 10% or more of the school year, has surged nationwide since the pandemic. In New Jersey, the rate peaked at 18.1% in the 2021-22 school year and declined to nearly 15% in the 2023-24 school year. However, it remains very high in urban districts, at nearly 40%, in places like Trenton, Camden, and Paterson.
