Budget & Taxes

in committee · New Jersey · General Assembly Mar 10, 2026

A 4534: Establishes Skills Service Corp; appropriates funds.

This bill creates the New Jersey Skills Service Corps, a paid volunteer program for adults aged 18 and older that allows participants to earn industry-recognized credentials while working on state projects. Administered by the Office of Volunteerism in the Department of State, the program requires volunteers to commit at least 15 hours per month for up to two years in areas such as infrastructure, healthcare, education, and community development, with priority given to residents of underserved communities. Eligible participants receive a monthly stipend determined by the program director and complete training and free certification upon finishing their service. The bill also establishes a dedicated fund to finance the program through state appropriations, federal grants, and private contributions, and includes an initial appropriation from the General Fund to launch the initiative.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill appropriates funds to create a new state program, directly supporting budget allocation for public services and workforce development.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Appropriations State Budget

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in committee · New Jersey · Senate Mar 19, 2026

S 4034: Appropriates $10 million to Department of Treasury for nurse preceptor tax credits.

This bill creates a state tax credit for healthcare professionals who supervise nursing students in clinical training programs. Eligible preceptors, including advanced practice nurses, physicians, and physician assistants, can claim up to $1,000 for each student they primarily supervise, provided they complete at least 100 clinical hours of instruction during the tax year. The program is funded through a $10 million annual appropriation to the Department of Treasury and includes administrative rules for verifying student supervision through nursing school certification forms.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill appropriates $10M for nurse preceptor tax credits, funding healthcare education programs and providing tax relief to healthcare professionals.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill provides $10M funding for nurse preceptor tax credits, strengthening healthcare workforce development and clinical training programs.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill provides tax credits to healthcare professionals supervising nursing students, supporting workforce development and employment in healthcare sector.75% confidence

Sub-Topics Appropriations Tax Credits Healthcare Workforce Professional Licensing

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in committee · New Jersey · Senate Mar 19, 2026

S 4017: Requires DOH to purchase xylazine test strips to be distributed to entities that provide authorized harm reduction services; makes appropriation.

This bill requires New Jersey's Department of Health to create a program that buys and distributes xylazine test strips to organizations authorized to provide harm reduction services. The Department will manage bulk purchases, distribute the strips upon request from these organizations, and maintain a website to inform the public about xylazine and where to access the test strips. The program will be funded through available federal funds and state appropriations from the General Fund. This legislation takes effect immediately upon passage.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill mandates state appropriation for harm reduction program, increasing funding for public health services and essential programs.85% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill mandates funding and distribution of xylazine test strips to harm reduction services, improving public health safety and access to testing tools.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Appropriations State Budget

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in committee · New Jersey · Senate Mar 19, 2026

S 3962: Exempts purchases of natural gas and electricity for residential customers from sales and use tax.

This bill exempts residential purchases of natural gas and electricity from New Jersey's state sales and use tax. It requires public utilities to deduct the sales tax amount from monthly customer bills, effectively removing the tax from residential energy costs. The legislation applies only to retail sales for residential use and does not affect commercial or industrial customers. The Director of the Division of Taxation must work with the Board of Public Utilities to create rules implementing these changes. The bill takes effect immediately upon introduction.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill provides tax relief for residential energy costs, reducing financial burden on households and promoting fiscal relief for consumers.90% confidence ✓ EnergySupports EnergyBill exempts residential energy purchases from sales tax, reducing costs for consumers and protecting utility customers.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Sales Tax Oil & Gas

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in committee · New Jersey · General Assembly Mar 19, 2026

A 4750: Appropriates funds to support increases in tax levy resulting from health care costs in certain school districts.

This bill appropriates up to $50 million from the Property Tax Relief Fund to help school districts in New Jersey offset tax levy increases caused by rising health care costs. It specifically targets qualifying districts where the adjusted tax levy for the 2026-2027 school year has increased by more than 9.9 percent compared to the 2024-2025 school year. The amount each district receives is calculated based on its proportionate share of the statewide increase in health care costs. The legislation takes effect immediately and aims to provide financial relief to districts facing steep tax hikes due to a 29.9 percent allowable adjustment for health care expenses.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill appropriates $50M from Property Tax Relief Fund to offset tax levy increases for school districts, directly supporting budget management and protecting districts from excessive tax burdens.90% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill provides $50M funding to offset tax increases caused by healthcare costs, protecting school district financial stability and enabling continued educational operations.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill provides $50M funding to offset healthcare cost increases in school districts, directly supporting healthcare financial stability.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Property Tax School Funding

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in committee · New Jersey · Senate Mar 19, 2026

S 4028: Establishes Nursing School Expansion Grant Program; appropriates $25 million.

This bill creates a Nursing School Expansion Grant Program in New Jersey to help nursing schools increase their capacity and improve the supply of nurses. The program will be managed by the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, which will review applications from eligible nursing education programs at public universities, private colleges, or hospital-based schools. To receive funding, schools must submit detailed plans showing how they will increase enrollment and graduation rates, expand faculty, improve workforce diversity, and strengthen connections between different nursing education levels. The bill appropriates $25 million from the state's General Fund, with $24.5 million available for grants and up to $500,000 reserved for administrative costs.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill appropriates $25 million to fund nursing school expansion, directly increasing government spending on essential public health services.90% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill establishes a grant program to expand nursing school capacity and improve nurse supply, directly funding higher education institutions and educational programs.90% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill allocates $25M to expand nursing school capacity, directly increasing healthcare workforce supply and access95% confidence

Sub-Topics State Budget Healthcare Workforce Hospitals

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in committee · New Jersey · General Assembly Mar 10, 2026

A 4617: Concerns certain workers' compensation supplemental benefits and funding method.

This bill creates a new supplemental weekly benefit for New Jersey workers receiving disability or death compensation for injuries or deaths that occurred after December 31, 1979, starting July 1, 2026. The additional payments are funded by the state General Fund rather than employers and are calculated to maintain the same proportion of the maximum benefit rate as the worker's original award. Payments begin at 33.3% of the base amount in 2027, increase to 66.7% in 2028, and reach 100% in 2029, with adjustments to ensure total benefits do not exceed federal Social Security limits. Employers must notify the Division of Workers' Compensation within 60 days if supplemental benefits are needed, or they become responsible for paying those benefits.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill increases funding for workers' compensation benefits through state General Fund, strengthening social safety net and government spending on essential programs.85% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill creates new supplemental weekly benefits for injured workers, expanding worker compensation protections and financial support.90% confidence

Sub-Topics State Budget Workers' Compensation

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in committee · New Jersey · General Assembly Jun 30, 2026

A 4554: Appropriates $111.6 million in dedicated natural resource damages revenues to DEP for habitat restoration, land acquisition, and restoration oversight projects.

This bill appropriates $111.6 million in natural resource damages revenues to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection for habitat restoration, land acquisition, and oversight projects. The funds come from legal settlements with various corporations and are allocated across different water regions and specific sites like the Ciba-Geigy Superfund Site. The Department of Environmental Protection may distribute these funds through grants or loans to local governments and nonprofit organizations, with the ability to reallocate money among projects subject to budget approval and legislative notification.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill appropriates $111.6M in natural resource damages revenues to fund habitat restoration and environmental programs, directly advancing state budget allocation for public services.95% confidence ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentBill allocates $111.6M for habitat restoration, land acquisition, and environmental oversight projects, directly strengthening environmental protection and conservation efforts.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Hazardous Materials

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in committee · New Jersey · Senate Mar 12, 2026

S 3899: Establishes Children's Health Promotion Fund.

This bill creates a new Children's Health Promotion Fund in New Jersey to support healthy eating and lifestyle programs for low-income children. The fund will collect money from existing state taxes and distribute it to the Department of Health for programs that improve access to healthy foods, educate families on nutrition and physical activity, and raise public awareness about healthy living. The bill also amends existing tax laws to clarify what services are subject to sales tax, including tanning, massage, tattooing, and various retail and service transactions.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill establishes a Children's Health Promotion Fund using existing state taxes to support healthy eating and lifestyle programs for low-income children, increasing funding for public health services.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Sales Tax

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in committee · New Jersey · Senate Mar 5, 2026

S 3767: Makes FY2025 supplemental appropriation of $587,450 to DCF for HomeFront NJ - Diaper Access Expansion Pilot Program.

This bill allocates $597,450 in additional state funding to the Department of Children and Families to support HomeFront NJ's Diaper Access Expansion Pilot Program. The funds will enable the organization to distribute diapers to more families across Central New Jersey, addressing the need for clean, dry diapers among infants and young children. This supplemental appropriation is intended to expand the organization's existing diaper service beyond its current informal operations. The legislation takes effect immediately upon passage.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill provides additional state funding to expand a public service program supporting families with infants and young children.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill provides funding for diaper access program, which supports infant health and hygiene, a component of public health and healthcare services.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Appropriations

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