S 1067 (NJ Basic Skills Training Program bill) reallocates funding for workforce development programs rather than increasing reporting requirements, as its title suggests. The bill changes how 100% of the "Supplemental Workforce Fund" is distributed: 24% supports One Stop Career Centers, 28% funds Workforce Investment Boards, 25% (with 12.5% dedicated to apprenticeship pilots) aids employer/educator consortia, $3 million minimum goes to community colleges, and 10% covers administrative costs. It directly affects displaced/disadvantaged workers, employers (requiring them to pay regular wages during training without paperwork), and community colleges delivering basic skills training. Key mechanisms include fixed funding percentages, employer wage requirements during training, and annual reporting by the community college consortium.
This bill extends New Jersey's anti-SLAPP protections (legal safeguards against lawsuits meant to silence people) to individuals who report sexual assault, harassment, or discrimination under state law. It ensures that people making good-faith complaints about these issues cannot be sued for reporting them, requiring courts to pause such cases and potentially dismiss them if the lawsuit lacks merit. The law also allows complainants who successfully defend against these lawsuits to recover legal fees and costs. It directly affects anyone filing reports under New Jersey’s sexual offense laws (N.J.S.2C:24-4) or anti-discrimination statutes (N.J.S.10:5-1 et seq.).
This bill requires a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for retirees and beneficiaries in New Jersey's Teachers' Pension, Judicial Retirement, Public Employees', Police and Firemen's, and State Police retirement systems whose monthly benefits are at or below 150% of the federal poverty level for a single-person household. The adjustment equals 100% of the Consumer Price Index change (instead of the previous 60%) and applies only on January 1, 2023, and January 1, 2024. The state must appropriate funds from the General Fund to cover these increases and administrative costs for those two years. Retirees or beneficiaries may voluntarily waive the adjustment with written notice.
S 1828 adjusts New Jersey's Secure Choice Savings Program by lowering the employee threshold for employer participation. Previously, employers with fewer than 25 employees were exempt, but this bill removes that exemption, requiring all employers with at least one employee in New Jersey to offer the program if they don't provide a retirement plan. The bill directly affects small businesses (previously exempt) and requires them to automatically enroll eligible employees into the state-run retirement savings program via payroll deductions. Key mechanisms include eliminating the 25-employee minimum, mandating automatic enrollment (with opt-out options), and allowing employees to set contribution levels up to IRS-deductible limits.
This bill allows New Jersey state, municipal, and county employers to automatically enroll employees in retirement savings plans (deferred compensation plans), with employees able to opt out or choose different contribution levels. It requires employers to set a default savings rate that may increase over time and provide clear notice about enrollment options. Union-represented employees require negotiated terms for enrollment details, rather than automatic enrollment without input. The bill was enacted as law (P.L.2025, c.358) after being introduced and withdrawn in 2026.
This bill (S 1755) expands eligibility for New Jersey's small employer health benefits plans to include volunteer firefighters and emergency responders. It amends the definition of "eligible employee" to specifically cover members of volunteer fire companies, first aid squads, or emergency/rescue teams serving their municipality under state law (N.J.S.40A:10-26 through N.J.S.40A:10-32). This change allows these volunteers - previously excluded - to enroll in their municipality's small employer health plan, which typically covers full-time municipal employees working 25+ hours weekly. The bill does not alter plan benefits or costs; it only adjusts who qualifies as an eligible participant under existing statutes.
This bill modifies how New Jersey public entities (like counties, municipalities, school districts, and universities) purchase construction services. It requires cost-effectiveness reviews before using cooperative purchasing agreements with other states or localities, bans time-and-materials contracts for public works projects covered by prevailing wage laws, and allows indefinite delivery/quantity contracts for goods or services without final project plans. The changes aim to streamline procurement while ensuring competitive bidding and compliance with prevailing wage requirements. The bill directly affects all contracting units authorized to purchase goods or contract for services under New Jersey law.
S 1497 requires New Jersey state employees (including those at Rutgers and other public universities) to be granted one additional administrative leave day per year for each of the religious holidays Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha, without using their regular leave allotment. It also mandates that public school districts record absences for these holidays as excused for all students. The bill ensures students absent for these observances cannot be penalized academically (e.g., lose awards or test opportunities) if a parent/guardian provides written notice, and excludes these absences from transcripts or employment forms. These provisions make Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha official excused religious holidays for both state workers and public school students in New Jersey.
This bill establishes a separate fringe benefit rate for New Jersey's public colleges and universities, starting in fiscal year 2025. Currently, these institutions use a general state rate that doesn't reflect their actual employee benefit costs - many staff are in the less expensive Alternative Benefit Plan (ABP) rather than the standard Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS). The new rate will be based on the actual cost of retirement programs at these institutions and applied to all federal, dedicated, and non-State funded programs. This change directly affects public higher education funding by aligning benefit costs with actual employee retirement plan expenses.
This New Jersey bill (S 2046) expands the Family Leave Act to provide up to 21 days of protected leave for employees experiencing specific bereavement events, including the death of a child (including stillbirth), miscarriage, or failed fertility treatment. It directly affects employees working for employers with 30+ staff (down from 50 under previous rules), covering situations like pregnancy loss or a child’s death, whether through birth, adoption, or gestational carrier arrangements. The leave is available through the existing Temporary Disability Benefits system, with 21 days for cases not covered by other leave types (like miscarriage) and 7 days when other leave applies (like stillbirth). This change ensures employees can take time off without job loss for these deeply personal losses, aligning with New Jersey’s broader family leave protections.
