S 2759 New Jersey Senate · 2026-2027 Regular Session

Exempts volunteer first responder stipends from certain payroll and income taxes.

This bill exempts stipends paid to volunteer first responders (such as firefighters or EMTs who serve without regular pay) from state payroll and income taxes. It specifically excludes these stipends from gross income calculations under New Jersey's tax laws. Volunteer first responders may still receive nominal fees, expense reimbursements, or reasonable benefits without losing their tax-exempt status. The bill clarifies that this exemption applies to payments made for emergency services, as long as volunteers receive no regular remuneration for their service.
Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2026
Committee Review
Floor Vote
Governor
Introduced Jan 13, 2026 Last action Feb 5, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Technical Review Of Prefiled Bill Introduced · 2 edits · Jan 13, 2026
MINOR
The bill moved from technical review status to formally introduced status. A STATEMENT section was added summarizing the bill's content, which exempts volunteer first responders from temporary disability benefits coverage and excludes their stipends from gross income. No substantive changes were made to the operative legislative text.
TECHNICAL

A STATEMENT section was added at the end of the bill providing a plain-language summary of what the legislation does, including definitions of 'volunteer first responder' and an explanation that volunteer services remain subject to unemployment compensation fund contributions.

The bill status changed from 'As reported by the Senate Labor Committee with technical review' to 'Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel,' reflecting the procedural transition from committee report to formal introduction.

Floor votes

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Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
3
Key actions
0
Committee
1
Feb 5, 2026
Committee
Referred to Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee
upper
Jan 13, 2026
Introduced
Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Labor Committee
upper
1 primary · 2 co-sponsors

Sponsors