This bill provides New Jersey employers with tax credits of up to $3,000 per qualified employee hired through One-Stop Career Centers. To qualify, employees must have been unemployed for at least 60 days, completed required training at a career center, and earned an industry-recognized credential during that unemployment period. Employers must retain employees for a minimum of 90 days to claim the credit, which applies to both corporation business tax and gross income tax liabilities. The credits cannot exceed 50% of a taxpayer’s liability and may be carried forward for up to seven years if unused. This directly affects New Jersey employers hiring eligible job seekers who completed workforce training programs.
This bill amends New Jersey's unemployment compensation law to clarify eligibility for seasonal workers who are on unpaid vacation (not due to their own action) or attending state-approved job training programs. It ensures these workers remain eligible for benefits without being deemed "unavailable for work." Key provisions require training programs to be full-time, for high-demand occupations, and approved by the state, while also adding clarifications for jury duty and funerals. The changes directly affect seasonal employees and others in similar situations, focusing on concrete policy adjustments to maintain benefit access during specific life or work circumstances.
This bill requires New Jersey's Higher Education Student Assistance Authority (HESAA) to stop interest from accruing on NJCLASS loans for borrowers approved for deferment or forbearance due to temporary disability, unemployment, or financial hardship between March 9 and September 9, 2020. It directly affects New Jersey college students with NJCLASS loans who qualify for these hardship-related repayment options during that specific period. The key provision mandates HESAA to suspend interest accumulation during approved deferment or forbearance periods - unlike standard practice where interest continues to accrue. This change provides immediate financial relief by preventing additional interest charges during the designated timeframe. The bill took effect immediately upon enactment.
This New Jersey bill (A 1794) waives civil service exam application and appeal fees for individuals receiving unemployment compensation benefits or whose benefits ended within the past six months. It directly affects unemployed New Jersey residents seeking state government jobs by removing a $25 application fee for open competitive exams and a $20 fee for appeals. The bill amends existing law to exempt these individuals from fees they would otherwise pay when applying for or appealing civil service positions. The policy change aims to reduce financial barriers for job seekers during unemployment, without altering benefit eligibility or creating new programs.
This bill (A-1434) mandates that New Jersey's Department of Labor and Workforce Development (DOLWD) reopen all state unemployment offices by March 1, 2022, and keep them open during the public health emergency. It directly affects the DOLWD commissioner and senior leadership, who face salary cuts (5% every two weeks for the first month, then 10% monthly) if offices remain closed past the deadline. Funds from these salary reductions will go into a new "Unemployed Workers Compensation Fund." The bill requires a report on compliance within 90 days and expires once all offices reopen.
ACR 73 is a New Jersey legislative resolution declaring that proposed Department of Labor rules modifying the ABC test for independent contractor classification are inconsistent with the Legislature's intent. The resolution states the Department's proposed rules - such as redefining digital app usage as control evidence or devaluing standard business practices like liability insurance - undermine the original ABC test's purpose. This procedural resolution, filed under constitutional review authority, gives the Department 30 days to amend or withdraw the rules before the Legislature could seek to invalidate them. It directly affects the Department of Labor's rulemaking process and the classification of workers under New Jersey's unemployment compensation law.
This bill allocates $50 million in existing federal pandemic relief funds to New Jersey's Department of Labor and Workforce Development. The funds will directly improve the unemployment insurance (UI) program's ability to process claims faster, addressing delays caused by the pandemic-era surge in filings. Key mechanisms include using the money for technology upgrades and hiring temporary staff to handle the backlog. The department must submit an implementation plan to the Legislature within 20 days of the bill taking effect. The bill does not change UI eligibility or benefit amounts, only the processing capacity.
This bill requires New Jersey's public colleges and universities to provide tuition-free job training courses to workers who lost their jobs due to automation. To qualify, workers must have been in the workforce for at least two years, be unemployed or have a layoff notice from an automated workplace, and not receive other state or federal financial aid. Institutions may charge a $20 registration fee per term but cannot require tuition, and courses must have available space with a minimum number of paying students. The bill expands an existing program that previously covered job losses from factory or plant closings.
This bill classifies golf caddies who perform services for compensation on a golf course as independent contractors under New Jersey state law, rather than employees. It exempts caddies from coverage under key state employment laws, including unemployment compensation, workers' compensation, minimum wage requirements, and state income tax obligations. The bill takes immediate effect upon passage and directly affects caddies by removing them from these employment protections and tax systems. The legislation is currently pending in the Senate Labor Committee.
This bill (S 1849) changes death benefit eligibility for police and fire department employees in New Jersey. It requires the Police and Firemen’s Retirement System (PFRS) to treat employees who died before enrolling in the system as if they were enrolled from their first day of employment. This means surviving spouses, children, or parents of such employees can now receive death benefits they previously would not have qualified for. The change applies retroactively to deaths occurring before the bill's enactment, with beneficiaries having up to 12 months after the bill takes effect to apply for these benefits.
