This bill (A 3272) upgrades assaults against uniformed crossing guards and municipal parking attendants to aggravated assault under New Jersey law. It directly affects these workers by making it a more serious crime to assault them while they are clearly identifiable in their duties. The key mechanism adds specific language to the state’s aggravated assault statute (N.J.S. 2C:12-1), explicitly including "any uniformed crossing guard" and "any parking attendant or uniformed employee of a municipal parking authority" in the list of protected individuals. This change increases penalties for such assaults, aligning them with protections already extended to police, firefighters, and other public safety workers. The bill is currently pending before the Assembly Judiciary Committee.
This bill (S 3283) requires New Jersey's Department of Labor and Workforce Development (DOLWD) to make an initial determination on unemployment claims within two weeks of filing. It directly affects individuals filing for unemployment benefits by speeding up the decision process. The bill also establishes a dedicated claimant hotline to provide updates on pending claims. These changes aim to reduce delays for people waiting to receive unemployment benefits.
This bill provides New Jersey businesses with tax credits for hiring qualified ex-offenders. Specifically, it allows a 15% credit against corporation business tax and gross income tax for wages paid to eligible individuals, capped at $900 per employee per year. A "qualified ex-offender" is defined as someone convicted of a first-, second-, third-, or fourth-degree crime in New Jersey who was hired within one year of conviction or release from incarceration. The credit cannot exceed 50% of the tax liability and may be carried forward if unused in the current year.
This bill consolidates three New Jersey transportation authorities - the New Jersey Turnpike Authority, South Jersey Transportation Authority, and New Jersey Transit Corporation - into the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT). It requires NJDOT to assume all powers, assets, debts, and responsibilities of these entities on a specified "Transfer Date," ending their separate existence. Employees of the consolidated entities transfer to NJDOT with retained benefits, pensions, and collective bargaining rights, while creditors and contractors can enforce existing claims against NJDOT as the successor. The bill prohibits NJDOT from issuing new bonds under the former authorities’ names and updates legal references to reflect the consolidation. This structural change aims to streamline transportation oversight and operations under a single agency.
This bill sets minimum hourly Medicaid reimbursement rates for private duty nursing (PDN) services provided in home settings. It requires states to pay at least $60 per hour for registered nurses and $48 per hour for licensed practical nurses - significantly higher than the current maximum rates of $40 and $28. The law directs the state Health Commissioner to apply for federal approval to implement these rates within 180 days and adopt necessary rules. These changes directly affect licensed nurses providing home care and Medicaid beneficiaries relying on these services, aiming to ensure reimbursement covers actual service costs.
This bill establishes safety and occupancy standards for seasonal farm worker housing in New Jersey. It directly affects farm operators who provide housing to seasonal agricultural workers and requires them to meet specific requirements, including: limiting occupancy to 50 people (up to 100 with proper exit routes), ensuring all sleeping areas are on the first floor, installing hard-wired smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, providing bathroom facilities within 200 feet, and obtaining annual certificates of occupancy. The standards apply exclusively to temporary housing used for seasonal work, not permanent housing, and prohibit cooking without compliant hoods. The commissioner must adopt these rules within six months of the bill's enactment.
This bill changes New Jersey's unemployment rules for workers who leave a job for another that later falls through. It extends the acceptable time window from 7 to 10 days for workers to accept a new job without losing benefits if the offer is rescinded through no fault of their own. Workers qualify for benefits if the new job's pay or hours match their previous position, and they left for a job starting within 10 days. The rule also adjusts the timeline if an employer terminates them early, starting the 10-day period from the planned departure date.
This bill requires employers to provide written information about an applicant's eligibility for specific family and medical leave benefits at the time of a job offer. It directly affects job applicants and employers in New Jersey, covering state and federal leave programs like the Family Leave Act and disability benefits. Employers must disclose whether an applicant will qualify for each benefit, explain any ineligibility reasons, and provide access to a state-maintained benefits webpage. Failure to comply results in a $500 civil penalty per violation. The law aims to increase transparency about leave rights before employment begins.
This bill would have established criminal penalties (fourth-degree crimes) for employers who knowingly falsify payroll records required under New Jersey's Prevailing Wage Act or make false statements on public works contractor registration forms. It directly affects employers working on public construction projects subject to prevailing wage requirements. Currently, such violations are punishable only as minor offenses (up to 90 days in jail), but this bill would have increased penalties to up to 18 months in jail or $10,000 fines. The bill was withdrawn on January 13, 2026, as it was approved as part of P.L.2025, c.356, meaning the changes are now law.
This bill amends New Jersey's Law Against Discrimination (LAD) to explicitly prohibit employers from discriminating based on "genetic information" in employment decisions. It adds genetic information to the list of protected characteristics (alongside race, gender, disability, etc.) that cannot be used to deny hiring, compensation, or employment terms. The key mechanism requires employers to avoid using genetic test results or family health history as a basis for employment actions. This directly affects all New Jersey employers and employees, ensuring health-related data (like genetic predispositions) cannot be used to discriminate. The amendment aligns with broader protections in the LAD but specifically clarifies genetic information as a prohibited factor.
