Bill Text: NJ A1684 | 2024-2025 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Permits public high school students to opt out of physical education and sports programs during Ramadan.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 10-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-01-09 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Education Committee [A1684 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2024-A1684-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
221st LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2024 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman REGINALD W. ATKINS
District 20 (Union)
Assemblywoman SHAMA A. HAIDER
District 37 (Bergen)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblywomen Carter, Reynolds-Jackson, Assemblymen Sampson, Karabinchak, Spearman and Kennedy
SYNOPSIS
Permits public high school students to opt out of physical education and sports programs during Ramadan.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Act concerning physical education and student-athletes and supplementing chapters 35 and 40 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. Notwithstanding the provisions of N.J.S.18A:35-7 or any other law to the contrary, a public high school student who observes the religious month of Ramadan may elect to substitute for the required physical education course an instructional course or study hall for the duration of the marking period in which Ramadan occurs. The student shall submit written notice to the principal of the school prior to the school district creating schedules for the marking period. The student shall receive the number of high school graduation credits for the instructional course or study hall equal to the number received for completion of the physical education course.
b. Nothing in this act shall be deemed to preclude the provisions of N.J.S.18A:35-8.
2. A student-athlete who observes the religious month of Ramadan may be excused from participation in an interscholastic sports program, intramural sports program, or cheerleading program organized by the school pursuant to section 1 of P.L.1979, c.172 (C.18A:11-3) for the duration of Ramadan. The student-athlete shall submit a written notice to the coach of the interscholastic sports program, intramural sports program, or cheerleading program. A coach shall not penalize a student-athlete that elects to be excused from participation for the duration of Ramadan.
3. This act shall take effect immediately and shall first apply to the first full academic year following the date of enactment.
STATEMENT
This bill permits any public high school student who observes Ramadan to opt out of physical education class. Under the bill, a student can substitute the required physical education course with an instructional course or study hall for the duration of the marking period in which Ramadan falls. The bill requires the student to submit a written notice to the principal of the school prior to the school district creating schedules for the marking period. The instructional course or study hall is required to provide the student with graduation credits equal to the number received for completion of the physical education course.
This bill does not exempt students from the statutory requirement that they attend at least two and one-half hours per school week of health and safety education courses, when these courses are scheduled.
Additionally, this bill permits a student-athlete to be excused from participation in an interscholastic sports program, intramural sports program, or cheerleading program during Ramadan. In order to be excused, a student-athlete is required to submit a written notice to the coach of the athletic program. The bill stipulates that a coach cannot penalize a student-athlete for not participating during Ramadan.
During the holy month of Ramadan, Muslims are required to abstain from food and drink from dawn to dusk. As one of the five pillars of Islam, fasting during the month of Ramadan is mandatory for all healthy adult Muslims. Children are not expected to fast until they reach puberty, usually around the age of 14. It is the intent of this bill to acknowledge Muslim students who observe Ramadan by providing less intense alternatives to physical activity while these students practice their religious beliefs by fasting.
