This bill, S 1656, provides New Jersey employers with a tax credit for hiring individuals with disabilities. Employers can claim a 15% credit on wages paid to qualifying employees (meeting ADA standards, working ≥35 hours/week at ≥$15/hour), capped at $2,000 per employee annually for both corporation business tax and gross income tax. To qualify, employers must apply for certification through the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Services, which must approve applications within 90 days or the application is deemed approved. The credit directly affects New Jersey businesses that hire eligible workers with disabilities, reducing their state tax liability while promoting inclusive employment.
This bill establishes a two-year guaranteed income pilot program in seven New Jersey cities (Paterson, Passaic City, Jersey City, Plainfield, Newark, Trenton, and Camden). It would provide $500 monthly for 18 months to 500 randomly selected low-income residents per city - those with household income under $80,000 in the prior year and no more than one participant per household. The program requires the state Treasury and Labor departments to collect economic data and voluntary participant surveys on spending habits and financial changes. A final report detailing findings and recommendations must be submitted to the Governor and Legislature within 10 months of the pilot’s conclusion. The bill focuses on studying the program’s effects without imposing conditions on recipients.
This bill allows New Jersey farmers with a farming business to calculate their state income tax using averaged farming income over a four-year period (current year plus three prior base years). The tax credit equals the difference between their normal tax bill and the bill calculated with averaged income, capped at $5,000 annually. It directly affects farmers whose income fluctuates due to weather, market conditions, or production cycles. The policy aims to smooth tax payments across profitable and less profitable years, providing more predictable tax obligations.
New Jersey's S 3105 establishes a statewide tele-psychiatry program within the Department of Human Services (DHS) to provide remote mental health and substance abuse crisis care. The program allows licensed providers ("consulting providers") at one location ("consultant site") to deliver real-time video consultations to patients at hospitals or facilities ("referring sites") experiencing acute mental health crises. DHS must contract with a partner organization to implement the program statewide within three years, monitor its effectiveness through annual reports, and facilitate access for rural and critical access hospitals. The bill appropriates $4 million from the General Fund to cover implementation costs, including oversight, site monitoring, and payment rates for tele-psychiatry services. It directly affects hospitals seeking crisis care access, licensed mental health providers, and patients in acute need of psychiatric evaluation.
This bill exempts surviving spouses and surviving civil union partners of disabled veterans from New Jersey's realty transfer fees. Specifically, it applies when the veteran qualified for a property tax exemption at death under existing law (C.54:4-3.30) for their home. The exemption covers both the basic state fee and the supplemental fee for selling a one- or two-family home they owned and occupied. It directly affects eligible veterans' spouses/partners who lose their home sale tax burden, aligning their treatment with current exemptions for disabled homeowners. The change amends existing fee exemption statutes to include this group.
This bill classifies golf caddies who perform services for compensation on a golf course as independent contractors under New Jersey state law, rather than employees. It exempts caddies from coverage under key state employment laws, including unemployment compensation, workers' compensation, minimum wage requirements, and state income tax obligations. The bill takes immediate effect upon passage and directly affects caddies by removing them from these employment protections and tax systems. The legislation is currently pending in the Senate Labor Committee.
This bill authorizes proportional property tax exemptions for New Jersey veterans with service-connected disabilities of 25% or higher, based on their disability percentage (up to 100%). It directly affects honorably discharged veterans with specific disabilities (like paraplegia, blindness, or amputations) and their surviving spouses under defined conditions. Key provisions include a $15,000 cap for partial exemptions and require the state to reimburse municipalities 102% of the tax loss from these exemptions annually. The law amends existing property tax exemption rules and adds new administrative requirements for tax assessors and county boards.
S 2486 establishes a competitive grant program through New Jersey's Department of Education to fund organizations recruiting, training, and placing new teachers in high-poverty school districts. Eligible organizations (tax-exempt nonprofits with existing partnerships in districts where ≥40% of students are at-risk) receive grants matching their private contributions, up to $2 million annually for three years. The bill appropriates $6 million from the General Fund to cover these matching grants, targeting districts with high student poverty rates.
This bill establishes the Office for Women’s Advancement within New Jersey’s Department of Labor and Workforce Development to promote full and equal participation of women in the workplace. The office will collect and analyze data on workplace issues affecting women - including pay gaps, hiring practices, and work-family balance - and collaborate with state agencies like the New Jersey Advisory Commission on the Status of Women. It will review legislation and regulations related to gender equity, provide public education through reports and events, and recommend policy changes. The bill also creates a dedicated "Women's Advancement Fund" to finance these activities, with an annual state appropriation.
The New Jersey Workforce Housing Partnership Act (S 1830) creates a state program to help middle-income workers - like teachers, first responders, and healthcare professionals - afford homes by incentivizing employers to provide homebuyer assistance. It provides $55 million for a Workforce Housing Assistance Program that matches employer down payment help and offers low-interest mortgages, while giving tax credits to businesses that develop affordable housing for employees. The bill also includes affordability protections ensuring housing remains accessible to residents earning up to 120% of the area median income and encourages municipalities to repurpose vacant commercial spaces into workforce housing through zoning flexibility.
