Labor & Employment in New Jersey

in committee · New Jersey · General Assembly Jan 13, 2026

A 2640: Requires election by certain public employees of certain health care benefit plans; prohibits payments by public employers for waiver of such plans.

This bill (A2640) requires public employees in New Jersey who are married to other public employees to select health care coverage through the employer of the higher-earning spouse. It prohibits public employers from paying employees to waive coverage (ending a previous practice where employers could pay up to 50% of savings from waived coverage). The law prevents dual coverage for spouses: if both work for public employers, the lower-earning spouse cannot receive health benefits from their own employer's plan. This applies to all public employers, including counties, municipalities, school districts, and related agencies. The bill updates existing health benefit enrollment rules to enforce this single-coverage requirement for married public employee couples.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Public Employees

in committee · New Jersey · General Assembly Mar 23, 2026

A 1514: Requires new flooring for schools, community centers, and child care centers to be certified mercury-free.

This bill requires new flooring installations in schools, community centers, and licensed child care centers to be certified mercury-free by the manufacturer. It applies to all facilities using identified mercury-risk flooring materials, including existing buildings where such flooring was installed before current occupancy. Key provisions mandate certification for permits, require air quality testing if mercury is detected, and obligate owners to implement mitigation or remove unsafe flooring within six months if tests exceed safety thresholds. Violations by manufacturers issuing false certifications carry civil penalties of $10,000 for first offenses.

Topics ✓ Education ✓ Environment ✓ Healthcare ✓ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Air Quality Professional Licensing

in committee · New Jersey · General Assembly Jan 13, 2026

A 1215: Expands crime of human trafficking to include individuals who benefit financially.

This bill expands New Jersey's human trafficking law to include individuals who profit financially from trafficking schemes, even if they aren't organizers, supervisors, financiers, or managers. It directly affects people who receive money or other benefits from trafficking activities, such as business owners who exploit victims or third parties facilitating exploitation. The key change adds a new subsection defining human trafficking to cover "receiving anything of value" from trafficking, while maintaining a 20-year minimum prison term and requiring restitution to victims based on their labor value. This makes it a crime to profit from trafficking without needing to prove a formal leadership role in the scheme.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice ✓ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Corrections Human Trafficking Victims' Rights

in committee · New Jersey · General Assembly Jan 13, 2026

A 3316: Establishes employee protections for certain employees of New Jersey City University in event of merger with Kean University.

This bill protects faculty and professional staff at New Jersey City University (NJCU) who are part of recognized labor unions if NJCU merges with Kean University. It prohibits job loss, layoffs, involuntary reassignment, or reduced hours for these employees for three years after the merger. During this period, Kean University must first offer any vacant positions to transferred NJCU employees before hiring externally, and provide a two-year transition period for staff to meet new job requirements. The bill also ensures all existing union contracts, benefits, seniority, and retirement rights transfer fully to Kean University for three years.

Topics ✓ Education ✓ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Higher Education Collective Bargaining

in committee · New Jersey · General Assembly Jan 13, 2026

A 1929: Provides that State pay high school equivalency exam fees for low-income individuals.

This bill (A 1929) requires New Jersey to create a program paying high school equivalency exam fees for low-income adults. It directly affects individuals with household income at or below 185% of the federal poverty guidelines, who seek a state-issued high school diploma. The State Board of Education must establish the program within six months, including income verification documentation, and limit fee coverage to one exam per person. The program will be funded using 5% of revenues from the existing Workforce Development Partnership Fund, as amended in Section 9 of P.L.1992, c.43.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Education ✓ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics K-12 Education Workforce Development

in committee · New Jersey · General Assembly Jan 13, 2026

A 1378: Provides option for individuals to satisfy requirements for licensure as manicurist through apprenticeship.

This bill (A1378) creates a new apprenticeship pathway for individuals seeking licensure as manicurists in New Jersey, directly affecting aspiring nail care professionals. It amends existing cosmetology licensing laws to allow applicants to meet education requirements through on-the-job training under a licensed supervisor, instead of completing a formal cosmetology program. The key provision establishes that apprenticeship hours can count toward the total training needed for licensure, with supervision by a licensed manicurist or cosmetologist. This change aims to provide a more accessible route to licensure while maintaining safety standards for nail care services. The bill does not alter the scope of practice for manicurists, which remains focused on nail care (manicuring, pedicuring, and nail sculpting).

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Apprenticeships Professional Licensing Workforce Development

in committee · New Jersey · General Assembly Jan 13, 2026

A 3119: Extends duration of law requiring certain provider subsidy payments for child care services be based on enrollment.

This bill (A 3119) extends New Jersey's child care subsidy law (P.L.2021, c.324) through June 2025, requiring licensed child care centers and registered family day care providers to base government payments on the number of enrolled children eligible for subsidies, not on daily attendance. It mandates that providers set staff wages and work hours based on enrollment numbers, not attendance, and requires the Department of Human Services to study enrollment-based versus attendance-based payment systems within three years. The law directly affects child care providers receiving state subsidies by changing how their funding is calculated and administered. The extension ensures continued stability for providers and families during the study period.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

in committee · New Jersey · General Assembly Jun 1, 2026

A 3315: Establishes requirements for on-demand micro transit programs operating in NJ.

This bill establishes rules for on-demand micro transit programs in New Jersey, which are app- or phone-based shared rides using vehicles. It directly affects New Jersey Transit, county transit agencies, and other operators by requiring drivers to be public employees or contractors who hire existing drivers at equivalent wages/benefits (no independent contractors), and mandating that services expand into transit deserts without replacing existing routes. Key provisions include ensuring accessibility for people with disabilities, providing non-smartphone access options, and requiring monthly data reporting on costs, ridership, and wait times. The New Jersey Transit Corporation must publish this data quarterly, and violations will trigger wage law penalties.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment ✓ Transportation

Sub-Topics Gig Economy

in committee · New Jersey · General Assembly Jan 13, 2026

A 2318: Provides accidental disability benefits to police who contract COVID-19 under certain circumstances.

This bill provides full accidental disability benefits to New Jersey police officers who became permanently and totally disabled from contracting COVID-19 between June 5, 2021, and January 31, 2022. To qualify, officers must have contracted the virus while working at a location other than their residence during that period. The benefits apply retroactively from June 5, 2021, and do not affect existing rights to other benefits under state law. It specifically covers police officers meeting these conditions, not all public safety workers.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

in committee · New Jersey · General Assembly Jan 13, 2026

A 1452: Allows political subdivisions of State to purchase unused sick leave from officer or employee under certain circumstances; prohibits authorizing special emergency appropriations for unused sick leave purchases.

This bill allows New Jersey local governments (like cities, towns, and counties) to purchase unused sick leave from public employees under strict limits. It prohibits paying more than $15,000 in supplemental compensation for unused sick leave upon retirement, caps annual purchases at 120 hours per employee, and requires payments to not exceed 60% of the leave's value based on pensionable salary. Employees must retain at least 800 hours of unused sick leave after any purchase, and local governments cannot use emergency funds to cover these purchases. The bill directly affects public employees in New Jersey political subdivisions who may sell unused sick leave before retirement.

Topics ✗ Labor & Employment

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