Oroho Bill that Would Eliminate the State Residency Requirement for Public School Employees Clears Senate

Public school employees may no longer be required to live in the State of New Jersey thanks to bipartisan legislation sponsored by Senator Steve Oroho and approved today by the New Jersey Senate.

“I strongly opposed the state residency requirement for public employment when it was signed into law a decade ago, and some of my constitutional concerns were echoed by a Superior Court Judge earlier this year,” said Sen. Steve Oroho (R-24). “It seems clear to me that the residency requirement in this instance is hampering the efforts of short-staffed schools contending with a labor shortage to hire enough teachers, substitutes, and bus drivers. Under these circumstances, it seems best to exempt school districts from the requirements of the New Jersey First Law.”

The legislation, S-4203, eliminates the requirement that employees of a school district have their principal residence in New Jersey. This requirement was established by the “New Jersey First Law” in 2011 and currently applies to all public officers and employees in the state, with certain limited exceptions.

“New Jersey, like many other states, is currently experiencing a widespread and severe teacher shortage. The most effective way to address this problem is to lift the residency requirement for school staff and allow the state to attract more workers—particularly from Pennsylvania and New York,” added Oroho. “As members of the legislature, we should always try and reduce government red tape, and allow the people who want to work in our great state the ability to do so.”