Recently, the New Jersey Senate unanimously approved a bill that would clarify existing rules to explicitly allow service animals on school buses. The bill was also unanimously passed in the State Assembly in November, and now waits to be signed by Gov. Chris Christie.
Federal law under the Americans with Disabilities Act requires that service animals be allowed to accompany a person with disabilities anywhere there public is “normally allowed to go.” New Jersey state law states that service animals should be allowed to accompany students into “school buildings, including the classroom, and on school grounds,” but there is no explicit mention of school buses.
Assembly Bill 3690 seeks to add to the current law it and ensure the school bus is explicitly included.
“Whether on the bus or in the classroom, these service animals are a fundamental resource for many children with disabilities,” said Sen. Teresa Ruiz, one of the bill’s sponsors. “Updating our laws to permit these aids on school buses is crucial to getting students to the building each day safely and ensuring a productive and healthy learning environment.”
The bill is especially relevant after a school district in New Jersey was required to pay $10,000 to a family of a student with special needs in July, following an investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice which found the district refused to allow the student to bring a service dog to school or school-related activities. The case specifically included an event where the student was not allowed to bring the dog on a school bus for a field trip.
