S 2869 New Jersey Senate · 2024-2025 Regular Session

Establishes penalties for employers who disclose or threaten to disclose employee's immigration status for purpose of concealing violation of State wage, benefit or tax laws.*

This bill imposes civil penalties on New Jersey employers who threaten or disclose an employee's immigration status to prevent them from reporting violations of state labor, wage, or tax laws. Employers face escalating fines: up to $1,000 for a first violation, $5,000 for a second, and $10,000 for subsequent violations, with each affected employee counted as a separate violation. It directly affects employers who use immigration status as coercion - such as threatening to report an undocumented worker to hide unpaid wages or benefits - to avoid accountability under laws like the State Wage and Hour Law or Gross Income Tax Act. The penalties apply in addition to any existing penalties for the underlying labor violation.
Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Mar 2024
Committee Review
May 2024
Senate Passage
May 2024
General Assembly Passage
Jun 2024
Signed into Law
Aug 2024
Introduced Mar 4, 2024 Signed Aug 8, 2024
Floor votes · Senate May 20, 2024 · General Assembly Jun 28, 2024

How they voted

340
Passed · 6 other
Total votes 40
May 20, 2024
D Democratic25
21 Yea 4
84% Yea
R Republican15
13 Yea 2
86% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
8
Key actions
4
Committee
1
Aug 8, 2024
Signed into law
Approved P.L.2024, c.51.
executive
Jun 28, 2024
Lower · Passed
Passed Assembly (Passed Both Houses) (70-4-3)
lower
May 20, 2024
Upper · Passed
Passed Senate (34-0)
upper
May 6, 2024
Upper · Passed
Reported out of Senate Committee, 2nd Reading
upper
Mar 4, 2024
Introduced
Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Labor Committee
upper
5 primary · 14 co-sponsors

Sponsors