NJ Legislation

What’s happening in NJ legislatively?

Click for information to help you better understand the legislative process and to find your local legislators.

 [NOTE: PARDON ANY OUTDATED INFORMATION ON THIS PAGE OR ON OTHER PAGES ON OUR WEBSITE. We’ve been very busy helping parents, educators and policy-makers better support children with dyslexia, so we got behind on our site. However, our website will be going through big updates and revisions in the coming months. Stay tuned!]

Important News:

NEW LITERACY BILLS SIGNED INTO LAW! [PDF of DD-NJ press release statement]

NJ took a crucial first step in reforming K-3 general education reading instruction this week. After months of working with advocates across the state, including DD-NJ, Gov. Murphy signed these landmark GenEd reading reform bills. 

The reform will bring the latest evidenced-based foundational literacy instruction supported instruction for all K-3 students including requiring all K-3 students receive universal literacy screenings minimally 2x per year to help identify children early who might have reading challenges, like Dyslexia, and get the appropriate intervention they need before they fall so far behind! 

The new literacy laws take effect with the 2025-2026 school year: 

• Mandates universal literacy screenings (min. 2x/year) for K-3 students
• requires a school district to provide written notification to a parent or guardian of a student’s results of the universal literacy screening within 30 days of the close of the initial screening period

• Requires an online resource center to aid school districts in the selection of evidence-based, high-quality literacy instructional materials, including data analysis tools, as part of the school district’s implementation of the NJSLS-ELA

• Requires a professional development program be created regarding evidence-based foundational literacy instruction and available to all school districts at no cost.
• Requires DOE to establish a working group on student literacy to provide recommendations to the department regarding
• the implementation of evidence-based literacy strategies, 
• appropriate and reliable instruments for a universal literacy screening, and 
• high-quality literacy instructional materials.
• Bill A2288/S2647 establishes the Office of Learning Equity and Academic Recovery within the NJDOE to promote student literacy and advance learning equity. This new NJDOE office will go into effect immediately.

DD-NJ thanks Majority Leader Teresa Ruiz for her commitment and leadership to take on making big changes within NJ public schools and improving literacy proficiency and for Governor Murphy for signing this legislation. 

We also thank the primary Assembly and Senate sponsors of S2644/A4303: Senate Majority Leader M. Teresa Ruiz, Senator Vin Gopal, Assemblywoman Carmen Morales, Assemblywoman Pamela Lampitt, Assemblywoman Annette Quijano, and Assemblywoman Eliana Pintor Marin for supporting the core literacy needs of our children.

WHAT’S NEXT:

Decoding Dyslexia-NJ was honored to be a part of the Majority Leader’s legislative working group to provide vital input as this legislation was crafted. This is a good GenEd bill that will address many of the gaps in GenEd reading instruction.  

We know this bill is not enough to fully address the reading disability/dyslexia population’s deeper struggles with language, foundational literacy skills, spelling, writing, comprehension, etc. We are looking forward to continuing this good work with Senator Ruiz and her colleagues as we focus on the specific needs of the one in five students who will need more intense and specialized instruction. 

Stay tuned! Questions? Contact us info@decodingdyslexianj.org or follow us on Facebook!

NJDOE press release and details about the new laws: https://www.nj.gov/governor/news/news/562024/approved/20240813a.shtml 

Link to signed student/educator/district literacy law S2644/A4303 (now law: P.L.2024, c.52.): https://pub.njleg.state.nj.us/Bills/2024/S3000/2644_U1.PDF 

Linked to signed new NJDOE Literacy dept law A2288/S2647:
https://pub.njleg.state.nj.us/Bills/2024/A2500/2288_U1.PDF  

NJ Spotlight New coverage: https://www.njspotlightnews.org/video/learning-to-read-murphy-signs-early-literacy-package/

NJ DYSLEXIA HANDBOOK:

In 2017, the NJ Department of Education released The New Jersey Dyslexia Handbook: A Guide to Early Literacy Development & Reading Struggles. This handbook was developed by a committee of local experts and NJDOE staff to offer guidance for identifying, providing intervention, and accommodating students with dyslexia and other lang

uage-based learning disabilities. This handbook is not a mandate, but rather an important tool for both families and educators in the state. It contains vital information for schools to consider when making decisions about the best practices needed to serve and support students with dyslexia.

Share with your school today! [NJ Dyslexia Handbook pdf]

DD-NJ thanks the many contributors who shared their expertise and spent so much time working on this document in collaboration with the NJDOE!

Existing New Jersey Dyslexia Laws:

NJ has 3 new dyslexia-related laws and 2 resolutions.

A3606 Professional Development Law (actual law text)

A3608 Definition of Dyslexia Law (actual law text)

A3605/S2442 Dyslexia Screening law (actual law text)

The new laws then were sent to the NJ Department of Education (NJDOE) to interpret and create recommendations and guidelines for individual districts to put into action. On April 15, 2014 the NJDOE posted a letter to all districts about the new laws. While the letter does not give many specifics, at least they are giving the public schools notices that these laws exist now and will need to be implemented. Click here to read this letter … Letter from NJDOE.

Here is a little better explanation of what these laws can mean to you, the parents.

Dyslexia Screening Law:

This screening law has the potential to stop the continuation of ignoring warning signs in young children and letting them wait and fail before any intervention is done, if ever. Things parents need to know:
> Law has been in effect since the 2014-2015 school year
> Law states that if a child shows indicators of dyslexia or other reading disabilities early, they have to be screened by the end of the first semester of 2nd grade. Here is a good list of indicators from the NJ Dyslexia Handbook. [NJ Handbook Dyslexia Indicator List] 
> IMPORTANT TO KNOW… PARENTS CAN POINT OUT THE INDICATORS AND TRIGGER THIS SCREENING LAW! Parents to not need to wait for someone at the school to find the indicators first!! Time is not on your side, so speak up BEFORE winter break 2nd grade!!   
> If the screening indicates the child may indeed have dyslexia (or other reading disability) then he or she will receive a comprehensive assessment of the learning disorder
> If the assessment confirms a diagnosis of dyslexia or other reading disability, then the child will receive appropriate evidence-based intervention strategies.
> Law does not state what will be done with children older than 2nd grade that show these indicators.
> The NJ Dyslexia Handbook is the NJDOE guidance which supports the NJ Dyslexia Screening law. However, the Handbook guidelines are currently mandated.

NOTE: When this law was a bill back in 2012, DD-NJ advocated hard for this bill to screen all children, but unfortunately lobbyist were more successful in watering down the language in this law. Back in 2012-2014, DD-NJ had a big learning curve to understand how the legislative process works. We certainly understand a lot more and have made many more connections to help us be more successful now and in the future.

Parents of K-2 children can use this law to work for them by looking for those indicators of dyslexia as early as possible. We advise documenting the indicators you see and any comments by others (like teachers, doctors, speech therapists, etc.) who might say something to you about your child as well. You should then request in writing if you want your child to be screened a reading disability under this law (as long as he or she falls within the age range of the law). If your screening request is denied, then request the district put that denial in writing to you and the reason they feel you child does not qualify under this law. Due note that a screening is NOT the same as a comprehensive evaluation and a screening will NOT diagnose your child with dyslexia but it should show if your child is at risk of having difficulty with reading and foundational literacy skills. Always strive to be an educated parent and if you are unsure about any of this, we suggest you seek advise from a professional advocate or special education attorney.

Definition of Dyslexia Law:

Parents need to know that while the inclusion of the definition of dyslexia in the state code, is fabulous, it WILL NOT change your child’s special education classification (typically, Specific Learning Disability). Why? Special Education classifications come from the federal law, IDEA. NJ receives funding from the IDEA law when they use those classifications so if NJ creates its own Dyslexia classification, then NJ will have to fund that solely through NJ state funds. Not likely to happen.

So what good is it to have the definition in the state code for parents? Simply, districts can’t tell you that dyslexia doesn’t exist in NJ anymore because now it does … officially. That may not sound like much to some people, but for those who were told to their faces that dyslexia doesn’t exist, this is huge! Parents can openly use the word “dyslexia” in their conversations with their districts. Districts may still resist using the word themselves, but parents can take the lead on this. Parents can ask that it be included in some of the descriptions in the IEP (but not part of the classification). If parents get a private evaluation done, then I would recommend that you ask your evaluator to include the word dyslexia in his or her report and ideally, show how your child’s strengths and weaknesses are aligned with definition that is now in the NJ state education code.

Parents will still need to connect the dots, but it will be harder for districts to keep denying that your child is dyslexic. For instance, under the IDEA, Specific Learning Disability (SLD), is one of the classifications. Dyslexia is then listed as one of the conditions that SLD includes. Here is an excerpt from the IDEA law:

11. Specific Learning Disability…

…means a disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or in using language, spoken or written, that may manifest itself in the imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell, or to do mathematical calculations. The term includes such conditions as perceptual disabilities, brain injury, minimal brain dysfunction, dyslexia, and developmental aphasia. The term does not include learning problems that are primarily the result of visual, hearing, or motor disabilities; of intellectual disability; of emotional disturbance; or of environmental, cultural, or economic disadvantage.

A parent could try to make the case that since one of the conditions under SLD is dyslexia and now NJ includes the definition of dyslexia in its state education code, then a child, who was diagnosed as dyslexic (probably from a private evaluation) should be given the type of interventions and accommodations that are proven to work with dyslexic children. Now, this might be a big stretch, but you never know. Parents might need to seek legal counsel or a professional advocate to make that kind of a case. But the bottom line is, this law should change the conversation that parents have had in the past with their districts.

Dyslexia Professional Development Law:

As for the professional development law (A3606/A3607), the NJ Department of Education (NJDOE), put together recommendations and guidelines for districts in the NJ Dyslexia Handbook. Additionally, more information and training modules can also be found on the Dyslexia page of the NJDOE website so they can comply with the law. There are also many free PD resources and learning opportunities on the internet and around the state, so we encourage educators to take full advantage of those in order to be a better supporter of our struggling readers. 

 Dyslexia Resolution (instructional Dyslexia Teacher Certificate certificate for teachers):

Also worth noting is that AR129 (SR91 Senate version) passed in both houses, so it official (link to bill). This is a resolution that urges State Board of Education to develop an endorsement to the instructional certificate for teachers of students with reading disabilities including, but not limited to, dyslexia. The resolution has lots of good stuff in it, however, a resolution is only a recommendation and no one technically has to follow it. 

NJ Dyslexia Awareness Month Designation Resolution (annually):

P.L. 2017, Joint Resolution No. 19, approved October 16, 2017; passed by both by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey: This Joint Resolution designates October of each year as “Dyslexia Awareness Month” in New Jersey and supplementing Title 36 of the Revised Statutes. “The Governor shall annually issue a proclamation calling upon public officials and the citizens of New Jersey to observe the month with appropriate activities and programs.” (link to bill)

Therefore, with the Dyslexia Awareness resolution plus the Dyslexia Definition law (NJ Chapter 131, signed into law in 2013), no NJ school district can tell parents that dyslexia doesn’t exist, that they can’t identify dyslexia until a child is at or above a certain age, or any other “fact” that doesn’t align with our NJ dyslexia-related laws or resolutions. Unfortunately some districts have been mistaken or misinformed about what dyslexia is or isn’t. However, parents can politely and respectively share these laws and resolutions with their districts to hopefully help move the conversation in the correct direction towards getting the appropriate services your child needs and deserves. 

Other Bills still Pending …

UPDATE ACTION ALERT:

UPDATE ACTION ALERT:

Action Alert:

UPDATE ACTION ALERT: