Requires State employees work in person if job requires face-to-face interaction with public; requires State agency provide alternatives if closure is unpreventable.

A1463

ASSEMBLY, No. 1463

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Assemblyman ANTWAN L. MCCLELLAN

District 1 (Atlantic, Cape May and Cumberland)

Assemblyman ERIK K. SIMONSEN

District 1 (Atlantic, Cape May and Cumberland)

Co-Sponsored by:

Assemblymen Auth and DiMaio

SYNOPSIS

���� Requires State employees work in person if job
requires face-to-face interaction with public; requires State agency provide
alternatives if closure is unpreventable.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative
Counsel.

��

An Act
concerning in-person work for certain State employees.

����
Be It
Enacted
by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:

���� 1.��� As used in this act, P.L.���
c.��� (pending before the Legislature as this bill):

���� �State agency� means any of
the principal departments in the Executive Branch of the State Government, and
any division, board, bureau, office, commission, or other instrumentality within
or created by such department; the Legislature of the State and any office,
board, bureau, or commission within or created by the Legislative Branch; and
any independent State authority, commission, instrumentality, or agency.

���� �State employee� means any
person holding an office or employment in a State agency.

���� 2.��� a. �For the duration of
the public health emergency and state of emergency declared on March 9, 2020 by
the Governor pursuant to Executive Order No. 103 of 2020 and extended, when
applicable, by subsequent executive orders, the head of a State agency shall
require a State employee to work in person if the duties and responsibilities
of the State employee require face-to-face interaction with the public.�
In-person work for those State employees required to work in person pursuant to
this subsection shall commence on the 30th business day following the effective
date of P.L.��� c.��� (pending before the Legislature as this bill).

���� The head of the State agency,
in consultation with the head of human resources or the head of personnel at
the State agency, shall publish on the website of that State agency a reopening
plan not later than the 15th business day following the effective date of
P.L.��� c.��� (pending before the Legislature as this bill) that details the
procedures and policies related to having those impacted State employees return
to in-person work for the duration of the public health emergency and state of
emergency declared, and as extended, by the Governor that includes, but need
not be limited to, the following:

���� (1) the personal protective
equipment that will be provided by the State agency, the additional cleaning
protocols to be implemented, and the efforts to ensure social distancing at the
State agency;

���� (2) the actions the State
agency will take to protect State employees who are required to work in
locations outside of the State agency office building for activities such as
audits and inspections;

���� (3) the requirements that
members of the public shall meet in order to enter the State agency office
building; and

���� (4) a description of the
proper contingencies for State employees who have a high risk of contracting
the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

���� b.��� If the head of the State
agency determines that a temporary closure of a State agency office building is
necessary, the head of the State agency shall provide the public with
reasonable alternatives consistent with any federal and State laws concerning government
records and privacy, which may include the following:

���� (1) electronic or
technological platforms, including platforms that offer interactive, real-time,
two-way audio or video capabilities; or

���� (2) the use of a mobile unit
at or nearby the State agency office building.

���� c.���� On or before the 60th
business day following the effective date of this act, the head of the State
agency shall submit a written report to the Governor and the Legislature on the
measures taken in the prior 60 days to comply with the provisions of this act, P.L.���
c.��� �(pending before the Legislature as this bill).

���� 3.��� This act shall take
effect immediately and shall expire at the end of the public health emergency
caused by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) either: upon the expiration
of Executive Order No. 103 of 2020 and any subsequent executive orders
extending the public health emergency; or, in the absence of a rescission by
the Governor, upon the termination in any other manner of the declared public
health emergency.

STATEMENT

���� This bill requires a State
employee to work in person if the duties and responsibilities of the State
employee require face-to-face interaction with the public.� Under this bill,
in-person work for those State employees required to work in person would commence
on the 30th business day following the enactment of the bill.

���� The head of the State agency,
in consultation with the head of human resources or the head of personnel at
the State agency, is also required to publish on the website of that State
agency a reopening plan not later than the 15th business day following the
enactment of the bill that details the procedures and policies related to having
those impacted State employees return to in-person work for the duration of the
public health emergency and state of emergency declared on March 9, 2020 by the
Governor, pursuant to Executive Order No. 103 of 2020, and as extended.� The
reopening plans must include, but need not be limited to, the following:

���� (1) the personal protective
equipment that will be provided by the State agency, the additional cleaning
protocols to be implemented, and the efforts to ensure social distancing at the
State agency;

���� (2) the actions the State
agency will take to protect State employees who are required to work in
locations outside of the State agency office building for activities such as
audits and inspections;

���� (3) the requirements that
members of the public must meet in order to enter the State agency office
building; and

���� (4) a description of the
proper contingencies for State employees who have a high risk of contracting
the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

���� The bill provides that if the
head of the State agency determines that a temporary closure of a State agency
office building is necessary, the head of the State agency must provide the
public with reasonable alternatives consistent with any federal and State
laws.� Reasonable alternatives may include electronic or technological
platforms, including platforms that offer interactive, real-time, two-way audio
or video capabilities, or the use of a mobile unit at or nearby the State
agency office building.

���� Under this bill, the head of
the State agency is also required to report to the Governor and the Legislature
not later than 60 business days on the measures taken to implement the
provisions in the bill.