This bill allocates $200 million from available federal pandemic assistance (or state funds if federal money is unavailable) to New Jersey's Department of Labor and Workforce Development. The funds specifically target technology upgrades for the Division of Unemployment Insurance to improve the state's unemployment benefits system, which faced significant strain during the pandemic. The department must submit an implementation plan to the Legislature within 60 days of the bill's effective date. This directly affects unemployed residents by aiming to make unemployment benefit claims and payments more efficient and reliable.
This resolution (AR 23) urges the U.S. Congress to renew funding for the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), which provides broadband internet discounts to low-income households. The ACP currently offers up to $30/month (or $75 on Tribal lands) for internet service and a one-time $100 device discount, benefiting over 20 million households nationwide - including 335,079 in New Jersey as of January 2024. The program is set to expire in April 2024 if Congress does not provide additional funding to replenish its $14.2 billion budget. New Jersey has received $152 million in ACP funding, saving enrolled households $8.3 million monthly on internet costs.
New Jersey's Bill A2478 establishes the Artificial Intelligence Ethics Board within the Department of Labor and Workforce Development. The board will oversee the sale and use of AI technology in the state, requiring vendors to conduct mandatory "AI Impact Assessments" before selling AI products. These assessments must evaluate privacy risks and potential job displacement, with the board setting minimum standards for them. The bill also directs the board to recommend worker protections, including advance notice, retraining, and severance for employees displaced by AI adoption by employers.
This bill creates a one-year pilot program to help New Jersey fire departments test new technology for fighting electric vehicle fires. The Division of Fire Safety will award $5,000 grants to county fire marshals or code enforcers (where no marshal exists) to purchase and test emerging fire suppression equipment. Grantees must submit annual reports detailing the technology used, its effectiveness, and whether additional equipment would benefit their department. The program is funded by up to $115,000 from the Universal Service Fund, with $10,000 reserved for program administration. It expires one year after enactment, aiming to address documented challenges in extinguishing high-voltage battery fires.
This bill establishes privacy protections for sensitive consumer health data in New Jersey, directly affecting residents, healthcare providers, and entities handling health information. It requires explicit, informed consent for collecting or using health data (prohibiting deceptive designs or broad terms of service) and defines "consumer health data" to include medical conditions, genetic information, biometrics, reproductive health details, and location data tied to health services. Key provisions mandate that businesses must authenticate requests to exercise privacy rights and prohibit sharing data without consent, while excluding research data processed under institutional review board oversight. The law applies to all entities collecting health data from New Jersey residents or processing data linked to New Jersey consumers.
This bill requires New Jersey's Office of Information Technology (OIT) to create a public generative artificial intelligence program that generates text, images, or videos in response to user prompts. OIT must annually test the program for cybersecurity risks and implement safety measures. The bill also mandates OIT to partner with county governments to offer free public education courses on AI, covering how generative AI works, identifying biases, and mitigating inaccuracies - while respecting privacy and legal compliance. It appropriates $1 million for program development and $500,000 in grants to counties for course implementation. The program and courses will directly affect all New Jersey residents seeking to understand AI tools.
This bill (A 2066) establishes the "New Jersey STEM Scholars Grant Pilot Program" to provide competitive grants to public school districts, renaissance schools, and charter schools. The program funds three specific STEM education approaches: project-based learning, after-school STEM activities, and out-of-school STEM experiences. Schools applying must detail how funds will enhance existing programs or create new ones, recruit students, support educators, and ensure long-term sustainability. Grants must supplement, not replace, existing STEM funding and are subject to annual state appropriations. The program runs for four years, with funding sourced from state appropriations and private donations.
This bill requires businesses in New Jersey's financial, essential infrastructure, and healthcare sectors (defined as "sensitive businesses") to report specific cybersecurity incidents to the New Jersey Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Cell (NJCCIC) promptly. It mandates reporting for incidents compromising billing, communications, data management, or industrial control systems that affect confidentiality, integrity, or availability. Within 30 days of receiving a report, the NJCCIC must order an independent cybersecurity audit of the business at the business's expense, identifying vulnerabilities and requiring corrective action plans. The audit findings and plans must then be submitted to the NJCCIC. The law takes effect 90 days after enactment.
This bill (A 1070) provides a $3 million supplemental appropriation to the New Jersey Division of State Police Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Unit for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2026. The funds are designated to cover specific operational costs including advanced training, equipment, vehicle purchases, software licenses, and staff mental health initiatives for the unit. The bill also requires any unspent funds from the previous fiscal year to carry forward for the same purpose. Note: This bill was withdrawn on January 13, 2026, as it was already approved under P.L.2025, c.331.
This bill creates the Advanced Transmission Technologies Workforce Development Program (ATT Program) within New Jersey's Department of Labor to train electrical engineers and utility workers in installing and managing advanced transmission technology systems. The program focuses on creating jobs, embedding training directly into infrastructure projects, using community benefit agreements, updating student career education, and retraining existing workers. It authorizes the department to use state, federal, and non-governmental funding sources for these efforts and requires annual evaluation reports to the Governor and Legislature starting July 1, 2027. The goal is to build a skilled workforce that supports faster deployment of transmission technology and reduces delays caused by technical capacity gaps.
