United States

Section 18A:33-30 requires all New Jersey school districts to provide free menstrual products, including tampons and sanitary pads, in at least half of the female and gender-neutral restrooms in schools serving students in grades 6 through 12. The State bears the financial responsibility for supplying and maintaining these products. The law is implemented through administrative compliance under the Department of Education rather than through criminal penalties, ensuring equitable access to menstrual hygiene for students across public secondary schools.

New Jersey Revised Statutes § 18A:35-4.20 requires that any public school sex education program emphasize abstinence as the only completely reliable means to prevent pregnancy and to avoid HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections. The statute does not prohibit broader instruction on reproductive health, but it mandates that abstinence remain the central message of such programs. 

New Jersey Revised Statutes § 18A:36-41 requires the New Jersey Commissioner of Education to issue statewide guidance to local school districts to ensure a safe and nondiscriminatory educational environment for transgender and gender-nonconforming students. The law directs schools to adopt policies that respect student privacy, maintain confidentiality of records, and use student-asserted names and pronouns.

Any discrimination based on sex in the hiring, compensation, promotion, and employment conditions of teachers and other personnel in all publicly funded schools, colleges, and universities is prohibited under New Jersey Revised Statutes § 18A:6-6. The statute mandates equal treatment in wage scales and employment practices, ensuring that sex cannot be used as a basis for differential pay or job opportunity within the state’s educational institutions.

Under New Jersey Revised Statutes § 2A:65A-6 it is unlawful for any physician or health care provider to perform a partial-birth abortion, defined as the partial vaginal delivery of a living fetus before deliberately causing fetal death. There is an exception, when the procedure is necessary to save the life of the pregnant person whose life is endangered by a physical disorder, an illness, or an injury.

New Jersey’s sexual offense statutes create a tiered framework addressing sexual assault and aggravated sexual assault based on the nature of the act, the relationship between the parties, and the vulnerability of the victim.

New Jersey Revised Statutes § 2C:14-2.1 establishes procedural safeguards for victims of sexual assault to ensure accuracy, transparency, and participation in the investigative process. The statute grants victims the right to review the initial incident report before it is formally filed and to complete a standardized form if they disagree with any portion of the report’s content.

Under New Jersey Revised Statutes § 2C:14-9.1, sexual extortion is defined as using threats to damage another person’s reputation or property, or to share sexual images or recordings, in order to coerce sexual acts or the creation of sexually explicit material. The offense covers a broad range of coercive behavior, including threats made online or in person, and the law applies whether or not the perpetrator ultimately profits from the act. Sexual extortion is classified as a third-degree crime, punishable by three to five years in prison and fines up to $15,000.

Under § 2C:24-10, it is a third-degree crime in the state of New Jersey to knowingly circumcise, excise, or infibulate the genitalia of a female under the age of 18, or to knowingly permit such conduct as a parent, guardian, or custodian. This law provides limited exceptions for medically necessary procedures performed by licensed healthcare professionals when required for the patient’s physical health, or related to childbirth.

Section 2C:34-1 of the New Jersey Criminal Code sets out the state’s laws on prostitution and its related crimes. It is illegal to engage in prostitution, to promote or profit from it, or to compel another person to participate in sexual activity for money or anything of value. When coercion or exploitation is proven, human trafficking serves as an affirmative defense.