New Jersey A 3322: Authorizes board of education to establish community service credit program for high school students.

Bill Text

A3322 

ASSEMBLY, No. 3322 

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

� 

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman KATIE BRENNAN

District 32 (Hudson)

Assemblyman� MICHAEL VENEZIA

District 34 (Essex)

Assemblyman� ED RODRIGUEZ

District 20 (Union)

Co-Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman Reynolds-Jackson

SYNOPSIS

���� "Homeless Bill of Rights."

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT 

���� Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative 
Counsel.

�� 

An Act concerning discrimination against the homeless 
and supplementing P.L.1945, c.169 (C.10:5-1 et seq.).

���� Be It 
Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of 
the State of New Jersey:

���� 1.��� This act shall be known 
and may be cited as the �Homeless Bill of Rights.�

���� 2.��� The Legislature finds 
and declares that:

���� a.���� Many persons have been 
rendered homeless as a result of economic hardship, a severe shortage of safe 
and affordable housing, and a shrinking social safety net. 

���� b.��� Article I, paragraph 1 
of the New Jersey Constitution states that �(a)ll persons are by nature free 
and independent, and have certain natural and unalienable rights, among which 
are those of enjoying and defending life and liberty, of acquiring, possessing, 
and protecting property, and of pursuing and obtaining safety and happiness.�

���� c.���� Concordant with this 
fundamental belief, no person should suffer unnecessarily or be subject to 
unfair discrimination based on his or her homeless status.� It is the intent of 
the Legislature to ameliorate the adverse effects visited upon individuals and 
our communities when the State�s residents lack a home.

���� 3.��� As used in P.L.��� , 
c.���� (C.������ ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), �housing 
status� means the status of having, or not having, a fixed or regular 
residence, including the status of living on the streets, or in a homeless 
shelter, or similar temporary residence.

���� 4.��� A person�s rights, 
privileges, or access to public services shall not be denied or abridged solely 
because the person is homeless.� A homeless person shall be granted the same 
rights and privileges as any other resident of this State.� A person experiencing 
homelessness has:

���� a.���� the right to use and 
move freely in public spaces, including, but not limited to, public sidewalks, 
public parks, public transportation and public buildings, in the same manner as 
any other person, and without discrimination on the basis of the person�s housing 
status;

���� b.��� the right to equal 
treatment by all State and municipal agencies, without discrimination on the 
basis of housing status;

���� c.���� the right not to face 
discrimination while seeking or maintaining employment due to the lack of a 
permanent mailing address, or the person�s mailing address being that of a 
shelter or social service provider because of the person�s housing status;

���� d.��� the right to emergency 
medical care free from discrimination based on the person�s housing status;

���� e.���� the right to vote, 
register to vote, and receive documentation necessary to provide identity for 
voting without discrimination due to the person�s housing status;

���� f.���� the right to protection 
from disclosure of records and information provided to homeless shelters and 
service providers to State, municipal and private entities, without appropriate 
legal authority; and the right to confidentiality of personal records and 
information in accordance with all limitations and disclosure established by 
the federal Homeless Management Information System, the �Health Insurance 
Portability and Accountability Act of 1996," Pub.L.104-191, and the 
�Violence Against Women Act of 1994� Pub.L.103-122;

���� g.��� the right to a 
reasonable expectation of privacy in the person�s personal property to the same 
extent as personal property in a permanent residence; and

���� h.��� the right to enter a 
homeless shelter while in the possession of a service dog as defined in the 
�Law Against Discrimination,� P.L.1945, c.169 (C.10:5-1 et seq.).

���� 5.��� In any civil action 
alleging a violation of P.L.�� , c.��� (C.���� ) (pending before the 
Legislature as this bill), a court may award appropriate injunctive and 
declaratory relief, actual damages, and reasonable attorneys� fees and costs to 
a prevailing plaintiff. 

���� 6.��� This act shall take 
effect immediately.

STATEMENT

���� This bill would establish the 
�Homeless Bill of Rights.� �The purpose of this Bill of Rights is to ensure 
that no person should suffer unnecessarily or be subject to unfair 
discrimination based on his or her homeless status.

���� The bill establishes the 
following rights to be afforded to all persons experiencing homelessness:

� 
the right to 
use and move freely in public spaces, including, but not limited to, public 
sidewalks, public parks, public transportation and public buildings, in the 
same manner as an