At a Saint Peter’s University roundtable Thursday, students shared their stories regarding hair discrimination with Sen. Sandra Cunningham and Assemblywoman Angela McKnight — two sponsors of legislation that would make New Jersey the third state to change its discrimination law to include hair.

Present at the discussion was senior Jack Payne, who told the elected officials about a dilemma he faced this past summer: whether or not to cut his hair for an internship on Capitol Hill.

“It leaves me speechless to know that we still discriminate on something so little as hair,” said Payne.

The bill, modeled after California’s CROWN Act, reads “race is inclusive of traits historically associated with race, including, but not limited to, hair texture, hair type and protective hairstyles,” which includes hairstyles like braids, locks and twists.

McKnight says the bill was inspired by a black high school wrestler who was forced to either cut his dreads or forfeit a match, an incident that subsequently launched a national debate on the topic.

“I’ve embraced my natural hair since the beginning of this year … and I want other women as well as men, predominantly black women and black men, to walk anywhere they want to and feel comfortable … ,” said McKnight.

The assemblywoman and senator asked the students to email them their stories because they want to share them with other lawmakers.