Establishes Cannabis Certified Worker Grant Program and Social Equity Certified Worker Hiring Grant Program; makes appropriation.

A1813

ASSEMBLY, No. 1813

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Assemblyman ANTHONY S. VERRELLI

District 15 (Hunterdon and Mercer)

SYNOPSIS

���� Establishes Cannabis Certified Worker Grant Program
and Social Equity Certified Worker Hiring Grant Program; makes appropriation.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

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

��

An Act
concerning grants to support workforce development
programs for workers in the cannabis industry, supplementing Title 34 of the
Revised Statutes, amending P.L.1992, c.43, and making an appropriation.

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

���� 1.��� (New section) a.� There
is established in the Department of Labor and Workforce Development the Cannabis
Certified Worker Grant Program, which shall provide grants for the development
and administration of workforce development programs for workers in the cannabis
industry in the State. �Grant length is one year but may also extend beyond one
year in duration.� The program shall be administered by the Office of
Apprenticeship in the department.

���� b.��� Any organizational
sponsor of a workforce development program is eligible to receive the grant,
including businesses; business organizations and associations; labor
organizations; joint labor-management partnerships; local education agencies;
public vocational schools; two-year and four-year colleges; local workforce
development boards; workforce training providers; economic development
organizations; and community- based and other non-profit organizations. An
organizational sponsor shall have some substantial connection or experience in
the cannabis industry, or that organizational sponsor shall be partnered with a
cannabis business.

���� c.���� To apply for the grant,
an organization shall submit an application to the Office of Apprenticeship. The
department shall rank eligible applicants for grants based upon:�

���� (1) each applicant�s potential
to:

���� (a) reach a broad audience
through its recruitment and outreach efforts;

���� (b) significantly increase
enrollment and completion of the workforce development program; and

���� (c) fill existing needs for
skilled workers in the market; and

���� (2) the applicant�s
partnership with a business for which workforce development programs targeted
at training and providing skilled workers who have the ability to perform jobs
in that industry have demonstrated positive outcomes.

���� d.��� An eligible applicant is
required to demonstrate that it has secured an industry partner.� Moreover,
each eligible applicant shall provide documentation of:

���� (1) the workforce development
program�s curriculum, location, and skills to be taught;

���� (2) the recruitment efforts
for the program and projected enrollment with receipt of grant funds;

���� (3) a description of how the
grant funds will be utilized;

���� (4) information on specific
industry needs or gaps in the workforce that will be addressed by the program;

���� (5) costs to operate the
workforce development program; and

���� (6) any other information the
department requires.

���� e.���� An eligible applicant
who is selected by the department for receipt of a grant for the purpose of
funding a workforce development program in accordance with P.L.��� , c.���
(C.������� ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), shall, on an annual
basis for so long as the grant is provided, make an annual report to the
commissioner detailing the enrollment in the program, the number of
participants completing the program, the number of participants obtaining
employment as a result of the program, the number of minorities, disabled
veterans, and women participating in the program, and any other information that
the commissioner may require.

���� f.���� Beginning on the January
1 next following the date of enactment of P.L.��� , c.��� (C.������� ) (pending
before the Legislature as this bill), and each year thereafter, the
Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development shall submit to the Governor,
and to the Legislature, pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164

(C.52:14-19.1), a report that evaluates the results of the program and its
effectiveness in preparing individuals to meet existing and burgeoning
workforce needs and addressing gaps in skills in the workforce.� The report
shall include a recommendation regarding the success and efficacy of the
program, and if the program should be expanded or otherwise enhanced.� The
report shall include:�

���� (1) the number of grants
awarded in the prior year, including the amount, recipient, and duration of
each grant;�

���� (2) the number of individuals
who enrolled in and completed a Cannabis Certified Worker program offered by
each grant recipient;

���� (3) the number of individuals
who obtained employment in a position that uses the skills for which they were
trained by a grant recipient, or in a position for which the completion of the cannabis
certified worker program was a condition of employment;

���� (4) an evaluation of the
effectiveness of the program in training and preparing minorities and women in
the workforce; and

���� (5) all relevant information
provided by grant recipients as to measurable outcomes of participants.�

���� g.��� Funds from grants
provided in accordance with P.L.��� ,

c.��� (C.������� ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill) shall not be
used:�

���� (1) for any activities which
replace, supplant, compete with, or duplicate in any way existing approved
programs;

���� (2) to induce, encourage, or
assist: any displacement of currently employed workers by trainees, including
partial displacement by means such as reduced hours of currently employed
workers; any replacement of laid off workers by trainees; or any relocation of
operations resulting in a loss of employment at a previous workplace; or

���� (3) to impair existing
contracts for services or collective bargaining agreements, except that
activities which would be inconsistent with the terms of a collective
bargaining agreement may be undertaken with the written concurrence of the
collective bargaining unit and the employer or employers who are parties to the
agreement.

���� 2.��� (New section) As used in
P.L.��� , c.��� (C.������� )

(pending before the Legislature as this bill):

���� �Cannabis industry� means an
industry involved with the operation of cannabis retail, manufacturing, or
cultivation.

���� �Commissioner� means
Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development.�

���� �Department� means Department
of Labor and Workforce Development.

���� �Disabled veteran� means an
individual who has served on active duty in the armed forces, was honorably
discharged and has a service-connected disability that was aggravated during
active duty, or is receiving compensation, disability retirement benefits, or
pension because of a public statue administered by the Department of Veterans
Affairs or a military department.

���� �Eligible applicant� means a
business; labor organization; college; workforce training provider; non-profit
organization; or any other entity that offers or plans to offer a workforce
development program that is accredited and approved by the United States
Department of Labor and that has partnered with an industry to offer or fund
the program.

���� �Minority� means a person who
is Asian American, a person having origins in any of the original peoples of
the Far East, Southeast Asia, Indian Subcontinent, Hawaii, or the Pacific
Islands; American Indian or Alaskan native, a person having origins in any of
the original peoples of North America; Black, a person having origins in any of
the black racial groups in Africa; or Hispanic, a person of Spanish or
Portuguese culture, with origins in Mexico, South or Central America, or the
Caribbean Islands.

���� "Woman" or
"women" means an individual, regardless of race, who self-identifies
her gender as a woman, without regard to the individual's designated sex at
birth.

���� 3.��� (New section) a.� There
is established in the Department of Labor and Workforce Development the Social
Equity Certified Worker Hiring Grant Program, which shall provide grants to
fund the hiring of cannabis workers who have participated in the Cannabis
Certified Worker Grant Program by microbusinesses as defined by section 3 of
P.L.2021, c.16 (C.24:6I-33). �A grant may extend beyond one year in duration.�
The program shall be administered by the Office of Apprenticeship in the
department.

���� b.��� Each grant shall be awarded
to a microbusiness selected from the cannabis industry, The department shall
rank eligible applicants for grants based upon:

���� (1) each applicant�s potential
to:

���� (a) reach a broad audience
through its recruitment and outreach efforts;

���� (b) increase enrollment and
completion of the program; and

���� (c) fill existing needs for
skilled workers in the market; and

���� (2) the applicant�s commitment
to employing a diverse workforce.

���� c.���� An eligible applicant
is required to demonstrate that it intends to hire a worker who is
participating in the Cannabis Certified Worker Grant Program.

���� d.��� An eligible applicant
who is selected by the department for receipt of a grant for the purpose of
funding a workforce development program in accordance with P.L.��� , c.���
(C.������� ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), shall, on an annual
basis for so long as the grant is provided, make an annual report to the
commissioner detailing the number of certified cannabis workers hired by the
applicant, the number of minorities and women participating in the program, and
any other information as the commissioner may require.

���� 4.��� Section 9 of P.L.1992,
c.43 (C.34:15D-9 ) is amended to read as follows:

���� 9. a. A restricted,
nonlapsing, revolving Workforce Development Partnership Fund, to be managed and
invested by the State Treasurer, is hereby established to: provide employment
and training services to qualified displaced, disadvantaged and employed workers
by means of training grants or customized training services; provide for the
other costs indicated in subsection a. of section 4 of P.L.1992, c.43
(C.34:15D-4); provide for the New Jersey Innovation and Research Fellowship
Program as provided for in section 3 of P.L.2015, c.235 (C.34:15D-26); provide
for the Talent Network Program as provided for in section 2 of P.L.2019, c.125
(C.34:15D-29); and facilitate the provision of education and training to youth
by means of grants provided by the Youth Transitions to Work Partnership
pursuant to the provisions of P.L.1993, c.268 (C.34:15E-1 et al.).� All
appropriations to the fund, all interest accumulated on balances in the fund
and all cash received for the fund from any other source shall be used solely for
the purposes specifically delineated by this act.

���� b.��� During any fiscal year
beginning after June 30, 2001, of the total revenues dedicated to the program
during any one fiscal year:

���� (1) 25% shall be deposited in
an account of the Workforce Development Partnership Fund reserved to provide
employment and training services for qualified displaced workers, and through
fiscal year 2023, not less than 10% of the revenues deposited in that account
shall be reserved to provide employment and training services to qualified
displaced workers in the pursuit of industry-valued credentials under the pilot
program established pursuant to P.L.2019, c.252 (C.34:15D-30 et al.); and
during any fiscal year beginning after June 30, 2019, 0.5% shall be deposited
in an account of the Workforce Development Partnership Fund reserved for an
appropriated to the Department of Labor and Workforce Development for the
Apprenticeship Start-Up Grant Program created pursuant to section 3 of
P.L.2019, c.417 (C.34:15D-6.1);

���� (2) 6% shall be deposited in
an account of the Workforce Development Partnership Fund reserved to provide
employment and training services for qualified disadvantaged workers, and
through fiscal year 2023, not less than 10% of the revenues deposited in that
account shall be reserved to provide employment and training services to
qualified disadvantaged workers in the pursuit of industry-valued credentials
under the pilot program established pursuant to P.L.2019, c.252 (C.34:15D-30 et
al.);

���� (3) 37% prior to July 1, 2022,
and 35% after June 30, 2022 shall be deposited in an account of the Workforce
Development Partnership Fund reserved for and appropriated to the Office of
Customized Training;

���� (4) 5% prior to July 1, 2022,
and 7% after June 30, 2022 shall be deposited in an account of the Workforce
Development Partnership Fund reserved for the Youth Transitions to Work
Partnership created pursuant to P.L.1993, c.268 (C.34:15E-1 et seq.);

���� (5) 3% shall be deposited in
an account of the Workforce Development Partnership Fund reserved for
occupational safety and health training;

���� (6) 5% shall be deposited in
an account of the Workforce Development Partnership Fund reserved for and
appropriated to the Talent Network Program established pursuant to section 2 of
P.L.2019, c.125 (C.34:15D-29);

���� (7) 3% shall be deposited in
an account of the Workforce Development Partnership Fund reserved for the New
Jersey Innovation and Research Fellowship Program established pursuant to
section 3 of P.L.2015, c.235 (C.34:15D-26);

���� (8) 10% shall be deposited in
an account of the Workforce Development Partnership Fund reserved for
administrative costs as defined in section 3 of P.L.1992, c.43 (C.34:15D-3);

���� (9) 0.5% shall be deposited in
an account of the Workforce Development Partnership Fund reserved for the State
Employment and Training Commission to design criteria and conduct an annual
evaluation of the program; and

���� (10) 5% shall be deposited in
an account of the Workforce Development Partnership Fund to be used, at the
discretion of the commissioner, for any of the purposes indicated in subsection
a. of section 4 of P.L.1992, c.43 (C.34:15D-4).

���� c.���� Beginning January 1,
1995, through June 30, 2002, the balance in the fund as of the previous
December 31, as determined in accordance with generally accepted accounting
principles, shall not exceed 1.5 times the amount of contributions deposited
for the calendar year then ended.� If the balance exceeds this amount, the
excess shall be deposited into the unemployment compensation fund within seven
business days of the date that the determination is made.

���� d.��� Beginning July 1, 2002,
and for any subsequent fiscal year, if the unexpended cash balance in any of
the accounts indicated in subsection b. of this section, except for the account
reserved for the Talent Network Program, less any amount awarded in grants but
not yet disbursed from the account, is determined to exceed 20% of the amount
of contributions collected for deposit in the account pursuant to this
subsection during the fiscal year then ended, the excess shall be regarded as
an unemployment compensation contribution and deposited into the unemployment
compensation fund within seven business days of the date that the determination
is made.� If the unexpended cash balance in the account reserved for the Talent
Network Program, less any amount awarded in grants but not yet disbursed from
the account, is determined to exceed 20% of the amount of contributions
collected for deposit in the account pursuant to this subsection during the
fiscal year then ended, the excess shall be deposited into the Workforce
Development Partnership Fund account reserved for the Office of Customized
Training.

���� e.���� $250,000 shall be
allocated to the Apprentice Assistance and Support Services Pilot Program
established pursuant to section 1 of P.L.2019, c.419 (C.34:15D-6.2) from the
$29,690,000 which was appropriated pursuant to the annual appropriations act
for State fiscal year 2019 from the Workforce Development Partnership Fund for
the purpose of funding Work First New Jersey Work Activities and Work First New
Jersey-Training Related Expenses, and, $1,100,000 shall be allocated to the
pilot program in each of fiscal years 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024 from the
amounts appropriated pursuant to the annual appropriations act in those fiscal
years from the Workforce Development Partnership Fund for the purpose of
funding Work First New Jersey Work Activities and Work First New
Jersey-Training Related Expenses.� Of the funds allocated to the pilot program
pursuant to this subsection, 90% shall be dedicated to the Child Care Stipend
program and 10% to transportation reimbursement.

���� f.���� Upon the effective date
of P.L.2022, c.89 (C.34:15E-6 et al.) and notwithstanding the provisions of any
law or regulation to the contrary, in addition to the amount deposited in an
account of the Workforce Development Partnership Fund reserved for the Youth
Transitions to Work Partnership pursuant to subsection b. of this section,
$1,000,000 shall be allocated to the Youth Transitions to Work Partnership from
the $22,500,000 which was appropriated pursuant to the annual appropriations
act for State fiscal year 2022 from the Workforce Development Partnership Fund
for the purpose of funding the NJ Apprenticeship Network, the Career
Accelerator Internship Program, the Workforce Development Policy and Evaluation
Lab, the NJ Career Network, and such other priority workforce initiatives
recommended by the Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development.

����
g.��� Upon the effective
date of P.L.��� , c.��� (C.������� ) (pending before the Legislature as this
bill), $400,000 shall be allocated to the Cannabis Certified Worker Grant
Program established pursuant to section 1 of P.L.��� , c.��� (C.������� )
(pending before the Legislature as this bill), and $400,000 shall be allocated
to the Social Equity Certified Worker Hiring Grant Program established pursuant
to section 3 of P.L.��� , c.��� (C.������� ) (pending before the Legislature as
this bill), from the amounts appropriated pursuant to the annual appropriations
act for State fiscal year 2024 from the Workforce Development Partnership Fund
for the purpose of funding Work First New Jersey Work Activities and Work First
New Jersey-Training Related Expenses.

(cf: P.L. 2022, c.89, s.2)

���� 5. This act shall take effect
immediately.

STATEMENT

���� This bill creates two grant
programs to support workforce development programs for workers in the cannabis
industry in the State.� The bill establishes the Cannabis Certified Worker
Grant Program, which will provide grants to eligible businesses; business
organizations and associations; labor organizations; joint labor-management
partnerships; local education agencies; public vocational schools; two-year and
four-year colleges; local workforce development boards; workforce training providers;
economic development organizations; and community-based and other non-profit
organizations.� The eligible entities will use grant funds to develop and
administer workforce development programs that are targeted at training and
providing skilled workers who have the ability to perform jobs in the cannabis industry.

���� The bill establishes a
separate grant program to provide grants to fund the hiring of cannabis workers
who have participated in the Cannabis Certified Worker Grant Program by
microbusinesses.�

���� The bill allocates $400,000 to
the Cannabis Certified Worker Grant Program, and $400,000 to the Social Equity
Certified Worker Hiring Grant Program, respectively, from the amounts appropriated
pursuant to the annual appropriations act for State fiscal year 2024 from the
Workforce Development Partnership Fund for the purpose of funding Work First
New Jersey Work Activities and Work First New Jersey-Training Related Expenses.