S 3405 New Jersey Senate · 2026-2027 Regular Session

Establishes minimum qualifications for persons employed on public works contract.

This bill requires contractors working on New Jersey public works projects to verify that each craft worker meets specific qualifications. Contractors must register electronically and confirm workers either completed a federally compliant apprenticeship program or have four years of documented work experience in their craft. Workers covered by union collective bargaining agreements (which determine prevailing wages) are exempt from these requirements. The law directly affects contractors and craft workers on state-funded construction projects by setting clear, verifiable standards for employment.

Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Feb 2026

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Feb 9, 2026 Last action Jun 30, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduced → Reprint · 3 edits

MINOR

The Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee made three substantive amendments to this public works contractor registration bill. First, it broadened the journeyperson qualification by removing the requirement that apprenticeship programs be union-sponsored or tied to a prevailing wage collective bargaining agreement, replacing it with a simpler 'actively employed in the applicable craft or trade' standard. Second, it expanded the exemption from qualifications to cover workers under any CBA with an NLRA-recognized labor organization that funds jointly administered trust funds (apprenticeship, pension, health, etc.), even if that CBA was not used for prevailing wage determinations. Third, it extended the effective date from 90 days to one year after enactment.

Scope change

The bill's scope effectively broadened: fewer apprenticeship programs are excluded from qualifying journeypersons (by removing the union-sponsorship requirement), and more workers are exempt from the qualification requirements (by adding the trust-fund CBA exemption). The one-year effective date also gives a longer compliance window.

ELIGIBILITY

The journeyperson qualification in paragraph (8)(a) no longer requires the registered apprenticeship program to be sponsored by a labor union or jointly sponsored with a labor union and employer association, nor does it require the union to be signatory to a CBA used for prevailing wage determinations. The new standard only requires that the craft worker is actively employed in the applicable craft or trade.

The exemption from journeyperson qualifications was expanded. In addition to the existing exemption for union members under a CBA used for prevailing wage determinations, workers are now also exempt if their employer is signatory to a CBA with an NLRA-recognized labor organization that provides for participation in jointly administered labor-management trust funds (apprenticeship, training, pension, health, or other benefit plans) under ERISA, regardless of whether that agreement was used for prevailing wage determinations.

TIMELINE

The effective date was changed from 90 days after enactment to one year after enactment, giving contractors a longer period to comply with the new registration requirements.

Floor votes

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Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Mar 23, 2026

Committee

Referred to Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee

upper

Feb 9, 2026

Introduced

Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate State Government, Wagering, Tourism & Historic Preservation Committee

upper

2 primary · 14 co-sponsors