The Protecting Legally-Present Youngsters Limited Educational Resources Act establishes that students who are not U.S. citizens or legal immigrants must pay tuition to attend public schools in New Jersey. The bill introduces provisions requiring school boards to verify a child's citizenship or legal immigration status prior to enrollment. If a child cannot provide the necessary documentation, they may still be admitted but will be required to pay an annual tuition fee, which will be set by the school board and cannot be less than $1,000 or exceed the actual cost per pupil.

Furthermore, the bill challenges the precedent set by the Supreme Court's Plyler v. Doe decision, which allowed access to free public education for all children regardless of immigration status. The legislation argues that this decision has created financial burdens on the state's education system and aims to redirect public funds to benefit U.S. citizens and legal residents. It also includes provisions for reporting the number of students paying tuition and the total tuition collected, ensuring transparency in the educational funding process while aligning existing laws with the new citizenship requirements.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 18A:7E-3, 18A:38-1.3