Provides seniority service credit to educational support professionals for military service.

2026-2027 Regular Session Introduced by Aura Dunn and 12 co-sponsors

Allows eligible educational support professionals to count up to four years of active military service toward their district seniority.

Reported out of Assembly Committee, 2nd Reading

Summary of Bill A-274 (Session 222, New Jersey)

Purpose and intent

The bill amends the seniority calculation for a specific category of school district employees, termed “educational support professionals,” to recognize military service as equivalent to years of employment for seniority purposes.

The goal is to provide veterans who work in educational support roles with seniority credit for their active military service, potentially affecting job security, promotion opportunities, layoffs, and other seniority-based decisions.

Key provisions

Definitions:

“Educational support professional” is defined as a school district employee other than a teaching staff member.

Seniority credit for military service:

Educational support professionals who have served in the active U.S. military and are deemed eligible for federal veterans’ benefits by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs shall receive equivalent years of employment or seniority credit for that military service.
The credit is capped at four years of service.
The military service credit is awarded as if the individual had been employed by the school district for the same period of time.
Any military service is eligible for credit, including service performed prior to the individual’s employment as an educational support professional.

Effective date:

The act takes effect immediately upon enactment.

Affected individuals and entities

Primary beneficiaries: Educational support professionals currently employed by New Jersey school districts who have active U.S. military service and VA veterans’ benefits eligibility.

School districts and their governance structures, since seniority determinations influence hiring, transfers, layoffs, promotions, and other personnel decisions that use seniority as a metric.

Procedural and timeline aspects

Legislative history:

Introduced: January 13, 2026 (referred to Assembly Military and Veterans' Affairs Committee).
Reported and referred to Assembly Education Committee: May 7, 2026.

Effective date: Immediate upon enactment.

Potential impact and considerations

Workforce stability and incentives for veterans to pursue or remain in educational support roles, given the formal acknowledgment of military service in seniority calculations.

Possible impact on staffing decisions, including rank-and-file promotions or layoffs, where seniority is a key determinant.

Administrative considerations for school districts to verify VA eligibility status and track military service credit up to four years.

No explicit repeal or modification of other seniority rules beyond extending credit for military service to eligible educational support professionals.

Summary in plain terms

Bill A-274 adds a veterans’ benefit to a specific group of school staff by allowing up to four years of active military service to count toward their length of service in the district as seniority credit. This credit can apply to service prior to the individual’s district employment and is contingent on VA eligibility. The measure takes effect immediately upon enactment.