This New Jersey bill requires employers and employment agencies to conduct annual independent audits of automated tools used for hiring, promotion, or employment decisions to identify potential bias. The audits must measure the tool’s impact on protected categories (like race, gender, age, and disability) by calculating selection rates and impact ratios, and provide actionable recommendations to address disparities. Employers cannot use these tools if they haven’t had a recent audit, and independent auditors must have no conflicts of interest with the employer or tool developer. The law directly affects job seekers and employees evaluated by such tools, aiming to ensure fairer employment practices.
This bill requires New Jersey to create a statewide data system that tracks individuals' educational and workforce information from preschool through employment. It directly affects students, public schools, colleges, and workforce officials by connecting data across these stages. Key provisions include establishing a working group to determine data elements (like enrollment, test scores, transcripts, and earnings), ensuring privacy and security, and building a system operational within two years. The system will link records to improve education planning, college access, and workforce outcomes while making non-confidential data publicly available.
This bill prohibits landlords from conducting "hard credit inquiries" (which can lower a tenant's credit score) when screening applicants for affordable housing, defined as low- or moderate-income households with housing subsidies or applying to subsidized units. Landlords may only use "soft credit inquiries" (consent-based, with no score impact) for these applicants. Violations incur escalating fines: $100 for the first offense in a year, then $200 more for each subsequent offense. The bill also requires consumer reporting agencies to count multiple hard inquiries within one month for rental applications as a single inquiry to prevent score damage, and mandates the housing department to post online resources about these rules within six months.
This bill requires New Jersey telecommunications companies to automatically provide prorated bill credits or refunds to customers experiencing service outages lasting more than 72 hours. It directly affects all telecom providers regulated by the state board, including traditional phone services and VoIP providers, and their customers. The key mechanism mandates that companies adjust bills proportionally for the outage duration without requiring customers to request the refund. The law specifies that refunds must be applied automatically to the next billing cycle, with no customer action needed. This applies to both local exchange carriers and interexchange telecommunications companies providing regulated services.
This bill increases tax credits for investors in New Jersey's emerging technology businesses. It raises the base credit rate from 20% to 30% of eligible investments, and boosts the enhanced rate from 25% to 35% for investments in qualified opportunity zones, low-income communities, or businesses certified as minority/women-owned. The credit is capped at $500,000 per investment annually, with a total annual limit of $35 million across all credits. The New Jersey Economic Development Authority will administer the program, requiring applicants to demonstrate compliance with diversity or location criteria for the higher credit rate.
This New Jersey Senate Resolution (SR 71) urges Congress and the President to enact the federal "Kids Online Safety Act." It does not create new laws but formally requests federal action to address social media's impact on minors. The resolution cites research linking social media use to rising mental health issues among children (ages 8-17), noting increased screen time and documented mental health risks. It specifically calls for the federal act to promote data safety, limit addictive design features, expand parental controls, and prevent harmful content for minors. As a non-binding resolution, it directly affects federal lawmakers but does not change current policy.
This New Jersey bill increases tax credits for corporations conducting research. It raises the credit rate from 10% to 15% for businesses primarily operating in targeted industries like clean energy, life sciences, and advanced technology. It also increases the basic research payment credit rate to 15% and allows the total credit to be refundable (meaning businesses can receive cash payments even if they owe no tax). The law applies to corporations in industries identified by the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, including innovation-focused sectors such as autonomous vehicles, hemp processing, and digital media.
Bill A2466 allocates $200 million to New Jersey's Department of Labor and Workforce Development to upgrade technology for the unemployment insurance (UI) system. The funds will be used to modernize the Division of Unemployment Insurance's infrastructure, which faced significant strain during the pandemic-era surge in claims. If federal pandemic relief funds are unavailable, the state will use money from its "Debt Defeasance and Prevention Fund" instead. The department must submit an implementation plan to the Legislature within 60 days detailing how the funds will improve UI service delivery for residents filing claims.
New Jersey's A1359 prohibits the non-consensual creation and distribution of deepfake pornography. The bill makes it a crime (ranging from third to fourth degree) to secretly record or share deceptive images/videos falsely depicting someone in intimate situations without consent, including deepfakes that mimic real people. It specifically targets "deceptive audio or visual media" created through technical means, imposing criminal penalties and a civil fine up to $30,000 for violations. This law directly affects individuals who produce or share such content without consent, aiming to protect people from non-consensual sexual exploitation through technology.
New Jersey's A-3989 prohibits landlords from using or purchasing algorithmic software that sets, recommends, or advises on residential rent prices or occupancy rates. It specifically bans tools analyzing non-public competitor data (like actual rent prices or lease details from other landlords) to coordinate pricing, including AI-based systems. The bill exempts aggregated rental reports published by trade associations and tools used for government affordable housing programs. Violations trigger penalties under New Jersey's Antitrust Act, such as fines up to $500 per day per unit or criminal charges, and do not restrict landlords from setting rents based on public data or internal management.
