Prohibits public school from denying admittance to student due to tardiness or violation of dress code or school uniform policy.*

2026-2027 Regular Session Introduced by Alixon Collazos-Gill and 2 co-sponsors

Prohibits public schools from denying admission to a student solely due to tardiness or dress code/uniform violations.

Reported out of Assembly Comm. with Amendments, 2nd Reading

Bill overview

Bill number and jurisdiction: A 1728, New Jersey

Session: 222

Purpose (as stated): Prohibits public schools from denying admittance to a student due to tardiness or violation of the dress code or school uniform policy.

Sponsor: Assemblywoman Verlina Reynolds-Jackson (District 15)

Co-sponsors: Assemblyman William W. Spearman (District 5), Assemblywoman Collazos-Gill, Assemblywoman Brennan

Status: As reported by the Assembly Education Committee on May 7, 2026 (amendments included); originally introduced January 13, 2026.

What the bill would do

Main objective: Ensure that a public school cannot refuse enrollment or admission to a student solely because the student was tardy or due to violations of the school’s dress code or uniform policy.

This applies to the process of admitting a student into public school attendance, not to disciplinary actions taken after admission for violations.

Key provisions and changes (as described)

Creates a prohibition on denial of admittance based on:

Tardiness (being late to school)
Dress code violations
School uniform policy violations

The bill does not specify other disciplinary consequences for tardiness or dress code violations; rather, it focuses on admission decisions.

Amended language has been reported by the Assembly Education Committee, indicating revisions were made prior to final passage in this session.

Who would be affected

Public schools in New Jersey: Administrators and admissions staff would be bound by the prohibition when determining whether to admit a student.

Students seeking admission: Parents/guardians of students who have tardiness records or dress code/uniform violations would be protected from being denied admission on those bases.

Procedural and timeline notes

Introduced: January 13, 2026

Committee action: Referred to Assembly Education Committee

Recent action: May 7, 2026 – reported out of the Assembly Education Committee with amendments (2nd Reading)

The bill’s progress indicates it is moving through the standard committee and floor debate process; amendments suggest refinements to its text before potential full chamber consideration.

Potential impacts and considerations

Access and equity: Aims to reduce barriers to enrollment for students who have minor disciplinary records related to tardiness or dress code issues, potentially improving access to education.

Implementation implications for schools: Districts would need to revise admission policies to ensure compliance, train staff, and monitor admission decisions to avoid exclusion based on tardiness or dress code violations.

Scope and limits: The summary does not indicate whether the prohibition applies to any subsequent grade transitions, special programs, or circumstances where tardiness or violations are part of ongoing disruptive behavior. Further detail would be in the bill’s full text and any amendments.

If you’d like, I can extract the exact statutory language (when available) or compare this bill to current NJ law to highlight specific changes.