S 2955 New Jersey Senate · 2026-2027 Regular Session

Requires county welfare agencies to direct clients to, and promote use of, Department of Treasury's personal finance web-based platform.*

This bill requires New Jersey county welfare agencies to provide free financial planning services to clients upon request during business hours, delivered by qualified staff. If staff isn't available, agencies must direct clients to the state's free online platform (NJ FinLit) or a successor platform. Agencies must also promote both in-person services and the online platform on their websites and in physical offices. The bill appropriates funds from the General Fund to cover implementation costs and takes effect immediately.

Issues: ✓ Budget & Taxes

Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2026

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Jan 13, 2026 Last action May 11, 2026

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What changed between versions

Introduced → Reprint · 4 edits

MODERATE

The First Reprint substantially narrows the bill's requirements. Instead of mandating that county welfare agencies provide free in-person financial planning services via qualified staff, the amended version only requires agencies to direct clients to and promote the Department of Treasury's personal finance web-based platform. The appropriation provision funding these services is also removed entirely.

Scope change

The bill shifts from a mandate requiring agencies to deliver in-person financial planning services (with state funding) to a lighter-touch requirement that agencies simply direct and promote use of an existing web-based platform, with no dedicated funding attached.

REQUIREMENT

The requirement for county welfare agencies to provide free in-person financial planning services via a qualified staff member during operating hours is deleted.

Promotion of agency-provided financial planning services is now conditional - agencies must promote such services only 'if offered' rather than being required to offer them.

SCOPE

The primary obligation changes from providing financial planning services to directing clients to and promoting use of the Department of Treasury's free personal finance web-based platform (NJ FinLit).

FISCAL

The General Fund appropriation provision that would have allocated money to county welfare agencies to fulfill the act's provisions is deleted.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

May 11, 2026

Committee

Referred to Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee

upper

Jan 13, 2026

Introduced

Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee

upper

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors