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A 2132

Establishes a job fair pilot program

2025 Regular Session Introduced by William Colton and 6 co-sponsors

Allows graduates to request diplomas with a preferred name without legal docs and requires updating former records and reissuing documents when legal name or gender changes are sho

REPORTED REFERRED TO WAYS AND MEANS
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Bill Summary · A 2132

Summary — A2132/A (Print 2132A)

Note on title discrepancy: the bill header provided lists a different title (“Establishes a job fair pilot program”), but the bill text and introduced version for A2132/A address use of preferred names on diplomas and updating student records. This summary covers the substantive text of A2132/A concerning preferred names and record updates.

Purpose

Allow graduating students to request that diplomas display a preferred name (rather than a legal name) without requiring legal documentation of a name or gender change, and require schools to update former students’ records and reissue documents when presented with legal documentation of a name or gender change.

Key provisions

  • Scope: Applies to all public and nonpublic schools, institutions of higher education, and proprietary institutions licensed to offer academic degrees in New Jersey.
  • Preferred-name diplomas:
    • Schools/institutions must provide graduating students the option to request a diploma that lists the student’s preferred name.
    • Schools may not require legal documentation (e.g., court order, updated ID) to permit use of a preferred name on the diploma.
    • A school may deny a preferred-name request only if the preferred name is intended to:
    • misrepresent or misappropriate another person’s identity;
    • avoid a legal obligation;
    • harm the reputation or interests of the school/institution; or
    • be derogatory, obscene, or otherwise inappropriate.
  • Updating former-student records:
    • Schools/institutions must update former students’ records when the former student provides documentation showing a legal name or gender change.
    • Examples of acceptable documentation: state driver’s license, birth certificate, passport, Social Security card, or court order indicating name or gender change.
    • Upon receiving such documentation, the school/institution must reissue conferred documents (including transcripts or diplomas) reflecting the updated legal name or gender.
    • Institutions may charge a nominal fee for reissuing documents.
  • Effective date: the first full day of the third month after enactment.

Who is affected

  • Graduating students (K–12, college, and proprietary-degree students) who wish to use a preferred name on diplomas.
  • Former students seeking to update official records and obtain reissued documents after a legal name or gender change.
  • School and institutional registrars, records offices, alumni or graduation services, and administrative staff responsible for diploma issuance and record corrections.

Procedural history & status

  • Introduced: January 9, 2024 (Assembly)
  • Referred to Assembly Education Committee (1/9/2024)
  • Referred to Correction Committee (1/15/2025); amended and recommitted; print number 2132A (3/28/2025)
  • Reported and referred to Ways and Means (4/2/2025) — current status: REPORTED REFERRED TO WAYS AND MEANS
  • Sponsors: Carrie Woerner (primary) with cosponsors Alicia Hyndman, William Colton, Phil Steck, Al Taylor, David Weprin, Paula Kay
  • Related/companion bills: S2247; S1643

Potential impacts and implementation considerations

  • Facilitates use of preferred names on diplomas, which may reduce burdens and stigma for transgender, nonbinary, or otherwise name-using students.
  • Administrative changes: institutions will need procedures for preferred-name requests, criteria for denials, record-updating workflows, and systems to reprint diplomas/transcripts.
  • Cost implications are likely modest (administrative time and reprinting); institutions may offset costs with a nominal reissuance fee.
  • Legal identity on other official documents (financial aid, legal filings) is unaffected unless the student provides supporting legal documentation to update records as required.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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