A 1153 New Jersey General Assembly · 2026-2027 Regular Session

Increases personal needs allowance to $100 for low-income persons residing in certain facilities.

This bill increases the monthly personal needs allowance (PNA) from $50 to $100 for low-income residents of nursing homes, state psychiatric hospitals, and state developmental centers who receive Medicaid or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits. The allowance allows residents to spend money on personal items like phone calls, meals, clothing, or hobbies, separate from facility-provided care. The change directly affects approximately 30,000 New Jersey residents in these facilities who currently receive the $50 allowance. This doubles the existing amount, aligning New Jersey with states like Florida and Massachusetts that offer higher PNAs.
Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2026
Committee Review
Floor Vote
Governor
Introduced Jan 13, 2026 Last action Jan 13, 2026
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Jan 13, 2026
Introduced
Introduced, Referred to Assembly Aging and Human Services Committee
lower
2 primary · 0 co-sponsors

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