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A1434
ASSEMBLY, No. 1434
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
222nd LEGISLATURE
�
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman ERIK K. SIMONSEN
District 1 (Atlantic, Cape May and Cumberland)
Assemblyman ANTWAN L. MCCLELLAN
District 1 (Atlantic, Cape May and Cumberland)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblyman DePhillips
SYNOPSIS
���� Requires DOLWD to take measures to ensure State
unemployment offices reopen immediately and remain open during and after public
health emergency.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
���� Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative
Counsel.
��
An Act
concerning operations at State unemployment
offices.
����
Be It
Enacted
by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:
���� 1.��� a.� For the time
thereafter the Public Health Emergency declared in Executive Order No. 103
(2020) pursuant to the �Emergency Health Powers Act,� P.L.2005, c.222, s.1
(C.26:13-1, et seq.), is terminated and while the State of Emergency declared
in Executive Order No. 103 (2020) pursuant to P.L.1942, c.251 (C.App.A:9-33 et
seq.) continues to exist in the State of New Jersey, where applicable, by
subsequent executive orders, the Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of
Labor and Workforce Development shall take all measures necessary to ensure
that all State unemployment offices reopen, by� March 1, 2022, and remain open
and ensure that the department and its agencies continue to provide services to
individuals, including, but not limited to, assistance with unemployment
insurance and the resolution of unemployment claims.�
���� b.��� On or before the 90th
day following the effective date of this act, the commissioner shall submit a
written report to the Governor and the Legislature on the measures taken in the
prior 90 days to comply with the provisions of this act and to prevent the
temporary closure of State unemployment offices.
���� c.���� The commissioner shall
reopen any State unemployment office that is closed on the effective date of
P.L.��� , c.��� (C.������� ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill) as
soon thereafter as is practicable, but no later than March 1, 2022.�
���� d.��� Notwithstanding sections
1 and 2 of P.L.1974, c.55 (C.52:14-15.107 et seq., or C.52:14-15.108), or any
other law to the contrary, in the event that State unemployment offices are not
open and fully operational by the deadline provided under subsection c. of this
section, the total compensation of the commissioner, deputy commissioner,
assistant commissioners, and the department�s chief of staff shall be reduced
by five percent every two weeks for the first month thereafter until all closed
State unemployment office are reopened.
���� e.���� Notwithstanding
sections 1 and 2 of P.L.1974, c.55 (C.52:14-15.107 et seq., or C.52:14-15.108),
or any other law to the contrary, in the event that State unemployment offices
are not open and fully operational by the end of the first month of compensation
reductions pursuant to subsection d. of this section, the total compensation of
the commissioner, deputy commissioner, assistant commissioners, and the
department�s chief of staff shall be reduced by 10 percent every month
thereafter and until all closed State unemployment office are reopened.
���� 2.��� There is established a special
fund in the Department of the Treasury to be known as the �Unemployed Workers
Compensation Fund,� into which shall be deposited the sums collected from the
compensation reductions under section 1 of this act.
���� 3.��� This act shall take
effect immediately and shall expire at the time when all State unemployment
offices are reopened.
STATEMENT
���� This bill requires the
Commissioner of the Department of Labor and Workforce Development to take all
measures necessary to ensure that all State unemployment office which offers
unemployment insurance services reopen immediately and remain open and ensure
that the department and its agencies continue to provide services to
individuals, including assistance with unemployment insurance.� The
commissioner is also required to re-open as soon as is practicable, by March 1,
2022, any State unemployment office closed on the effective date of this bill.�
���� The bill imposes salary
reductions to the commissioner and other employees if the reopening deadline is
not met.� Under the bill, the total compensation of the commissioner, deputy
commissioner, assistant commissioners, and the department�s chief of staff are
to be reduced by five percent every two weeks, for the first month, thereafter
until all closed State unemployment office are reopened.� Furthermore, after
the first month of compensation reduction, the total compensation of the
commissioner, deputy commissioner, assistant commissioners, and the
department�s chief of staff are to be reduced by 10 percent every subsequent
month thereafter and until all closed State unemployment offices are reopened.
���� There is established a special
fund in the Department of the Treasury to be known as the �Unemployed Workers
Compensation Fund,� into which shall be deposited the sums collected from the
compensation reductions under the bill.