Labor & Employment

signed · New Jersey · General Assembly Jul 22, 2026

A 1516: Exempts poll workers wages from affecting unemployment compensation.

This bill exempts wages earned by poll workers during election cycles from being counted when calculating an individual's unemployment benefits. It directly affects poll workers who may otherwise have their unemployment compensation reduced due to income earned from temporary election work. The key provision amends New Jersey's unemployment law to exclude poll workers' wages from the "annual payroll" calculation used to determine benefit eligibility. This change ensures poll workers can receive full unemployment benefits without their election-season earnings affecting their claim. The bill focuses solely on adjusting the calculation method for this specific group of workers.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentExempts poll worker wages from unemployment calculation, protecting temporary workers' benefits without reducing compensation.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Labor & Employment

signed · New Jersey · General Assembly Jun 30, 2026

A 5324: Establishes fee on certain employers that employ individuals who receive health benefits coverage through State Medicaid program.

This New Jersey bill introduces a new fee for employers who have at least 50 employees receiving Medicaid health coverage. The fee amount varies based on company size, charging $325, $525, or $725 per covered employee and their dependents depending on whether the employer has between 50-249, 250-499, or 500 or more Medicaid recipients. Employers with employees who have developmental, intellectual, or permanent physical disabilities are exempt from paying this charge. The revenue generated from these fees is intended to help cover the costs of the State Medicaid program.

Topics ✗ Budget & TaxesOpposes Budget & TaxesBill imposes new fees on employers, increasing the tax burden on businesses and potentially reducing funds available for other state services.95% confidence ✗ HealthcareOpposes HealthcareBill imposes a fee on employers for Medicaid recipients, effectively increasing costs for providing health coverage and potentially restricting access or funding.85% confidence ✗ Labor & EmploymentOpposes Labor & EmploymentBill imposes a fee on employers with Medicaid-covered employees, increasing labor costs and potentially restricting hiring or benefits.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✓ Supports Labor & Employment

passed both · New Jersey · General Assembly Jun 30, 2026

A 5016: Establishes program in EDA to encourage employee ownership awareness and provide funding and advisory support.

This bill directs the New Jersey Economic Development Authority to create a program that helps businesses understand and adopt employee ownership models, such as worker cooperatives or stock ownership plans. To support this goal, the program will offer funding for feasibility studies, provide expert consulting advice, and publish educational resources online for both employers and employees. Eligible businesses must be located in New Jersey, have at least 20 full-time employees, and maintain good standing with state agencies to receive these services. Additionally, the authority will partner with educational institutions to offer early-stage technical assistance to smaller companies that may not yet be ready for a transition.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill funds employee ownership programs and cooperatives, strengthening worker rights and economic participation.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Labor & Employment

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passed both · New Jersey · General Assembly Jun 30, 2026

A 4072: Establishes minimum qualifications for persons employed on public works contract.

This bill requires contractors working on New Jersey public works projects to verify that all craftworkers meet minimum qualifications. Specifically, it mandates that contractors register electronically and provide proof that each journeyperson has either completed a registered apprenticeship program meeting federal standards or has four years of documented work experience (with union members under certain collective bargaining agreements exempt). The law also requires contractors to confirm they participate in approved apprenticeship programs for any craftworkers they employ. These requirements apply directly to contractors bidding on or performing state-funded construction projects.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentRequires minimum qualifications for public works workers, strengthening employment standards through verified training/experience requirements.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Labor & Employment

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passed both · New Jersey · Senate Jun 30, 2026

S 2962: Provides seniority service credit to educational support professionals for military service.

This New Jersey bill (S 2962) gives educational support professionals (like cafeteria workers, bus drivers, and administrative staff) who served in the U.S. military and qualify for VA benefits up to four years of seniority credit. The credit counts military service completed before or during their school district employment, treating it as equivalent to actual work time for seniority purposes. It expands an existing benefit currently only available to teaching staff. The policy takes effect immediately upon enactment.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationExpands seniority benefits to educational support staff (e.g., cafeteria workers, bus drivers) for military service, strengthening school workforce retention and recognition within K-12 education.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentExpands seniority benefits for educational support staff (e.g., cafeteria workers) by crediting military service, strengthening employment rights and benefits for non-teaching workers.90% confidence ✓ VeteransSupports VeteransExpands seniority benefits for veterans in education roles, recognizing military service as equivalent to work time for career advancement.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Labor & Employment

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in committee · New Jersey · General Assembly May 18, 2026

A 5113: Establishes "New Jersey Small Business Indoor Air Quality Management Support Program."

This bill creates the New Jersey Small Business Indoor Air Quality Management Support Program to provide financial assistance to small businesses with 100 or fewer employees. Administered by the New Jersey Economic Development Authority in partnership with the Department of Environmental Protection, the program offers loans for capital purchases, employee training, and new hires aimed at improving indoor air quality. To ensure quality, any work funded by the program must be performed by organizations certified by specific industry bureaus, and businesses that receive grants may apply for a state certification based on a successful inspection. The authority sets the interest rates and terms for these loans while requiring applicants to prove their eligibility as small businesses.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentBill funds indoor air quality improvements, directly supporting environmental protection and pollution control.85% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill funds employee training and new hires to improve workplace safety (indoor air quality), directly supporting labor standards.75% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Labor & Employment

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passed · New Jersey · General Assembly May 18, 2026

A 936: Waives certain professional and occupational licensing fees for veterans and spouses of veterans.

This bill waives initial application and issuance fees for professional and occupational licenses in New Jersey for veterans and their spouses, domestic partners, or civil union partners who already hold a current, equivalent license in another state. It applies when the applicant resides in New Jersey and the out-of-state license meets the board's equivalent or substantially equivalent requirements. The exemption covers all licenses issued by professional boards under the Division of Consumer Affairs. The bill does not affect renewal fees or licenses obtained through other pathways.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentWaives licensing fees for veterans, reducing barriers to employment in licensed professions and aligning with employment standards support.85% confidence ✓ VeteransSupports VeteransWaives licensing fees for veterans and spouses, removing financial barriers to employment in NJ. Directly supports veteran workforce integration and service recognition.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Labor & Employment

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in committee · New Jersey · General Assembly May 7, 2026

A 1760: Directs DOLWD to identify, and post on website, employment opportunities with minimal barriers to entry for persons returning to workforce after imprisonment.

This bill requires New Jersey's Department of Labor and Workforce Development (DOLWD) to identify and publicly post on its website employment opportunities with minimal entry barriers for people returning to work after incarceration. It directly affects formerly incarcerated individuals who face employment challenges like employer stigma and lack of educational opportunities. The key mechanism is DOLWD's ongoing duty to list jobs that have low barriers to entry and high demand. The bill aims to improve reintegration into the workforce by making accessible job listings available to this population, without specifying how employers will be engaged or how success will be measured.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeDirectly addresses reentry barriers for formerly incarcerated individuals through employment access, a core criminal justice reform strategy to reduce recidivism.90% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill mandates DOLWD to list low-barrier jobs for formerly incarcerated individuals, directly advancing employment access and reducing systemic employment barriers for a vulnerable workforce group.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Labor & Employment

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passed · New Jersey · General Assembly May 4, 2026

A 2205: Requires signs to be posted in emergency rooms regarding VCCO.

Bill A 2205 requires New Jersey's Commissioner of Health (working with the Attorney General) to create clear, easily understandable signs for emergency rooms. These signs must display VCCO services/benefits, contact details, and how to file a compensation claim. The bill mandates posting these signs in all general hospital emergency departments and satellite emergency departments, with electronic displays permitted. It aims to make VCCO information more accessible to individuals who may qualify for victim compensation after crimes. The bill takes effect four months after enactment.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill mandates accessible victim compensation info in ERs, supporting victims' rights and services within criminal justice system, aligning with reform indicators.85% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareRequires ER signs for VCCO benefits access, improving patient awareness of healthcare-related compensation services.90% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill mandates clear signage for VCCO (workers' compensation) benefits access, ensuring workers can easily file claims - directly supporting workers' compensation rights.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Labor & Employment

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in committee · New Jersey · General Assembly Mar 16, 2026

A 2198: Establishes protected leave under "Family Leave Act" and family temporary disability leave benefits for bereavement for death of child, miscarriage, stillbirth, and certain other circumstances.

This New Jersey bill expands protected bereavement leave under the Family Leave Act to cover specific personal losses: death of a child (including stillbirth), miscarriage (including chemical pregnancy), termination of pregnancy for medical reasons, and failed fertility treatments. It directly affects employees who experience these events, granting them up to 21 days of job-protected leave for situations not covered by other leave types, or 7 days if other leave applies. The bill amends existing laws (P.L.1989, c.261 and P.L.1948, c.110) to define "bereavement" broadly, including losses related to adoption plans, gestational carriers, and fertility treatments. It ensures eligible employees can take time off without losing their jobs or benefits during these difficult circumstances.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareExpands job-protected leave for health-related events (miscarriage, stillbirth, fertility treatments), directly improving employee access to time off for medical circumstances affecting healthcare needs.92% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentExpands job-protected bereavement leave for covered losses, directly strengthening worker benefits and rights under Labor & Employment.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Labor & Employment

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