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A2213 • 2026

Increases pay for direct support professionals; makes appropriation.

Increases pay for direct support professionals; makes appropriation.

Budget
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Speight, Shanique
Last action
2026-01-13
Official status
Introduced, Referred to Assembly Aging and Human Services Committee
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Increases pay for direct support professionals; makes appropriation.

Increases pay for direct support professionals; makes appropriation.

What This Bill Does

  • Increases pay for direct support professionals; makes appropriation.
  • Topic: Aging and Human Services Fiscal note: This bill has been certified by OLS for a fiscal note.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

  1. 2026-01-13 New Jersey Legislature

    Introduced, Referred to Assembly Aging and Human Services Committee

Official Summary Text

Increases pay for direct support professionals; makes appropriation.
Topic:
Aging and Human Services
Fiscal note:
This bill has been certified by OLS for a fiscal note.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
A2213

ASSEMBLY, No. 2213

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman SHANIQUE SPEIGHT

District 29 (Essex and Hudson)

Assemblyman WILLIAM B. SAMPSON, IV

District 31 (Hudson)

Co-Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman Reynolds-Jackson

SYNOPSIS

���� Increases pay for direct support professionals; makes
appropriation.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

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

��

An Act
concerning
direct support professionals
and making an appropriation.

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

���� 1.� The Department of Human
Services shall establish a direct support professional funding program to
distribute monies to employers of direct support professionals in an amount
that is necessary to address direct support professional staffing challenges in
this State, as determined by the Commissioner of Human Services.� The monies
shall be used by the employers to increase the pay of existing or new employees
who are direct support professionals.� The Commissioner of Human Services shall
establish an application process, guidelines, and compliance standards for the direct
support professional funding program.�

���� 2.� There is appropriated from
the General Fund to the Department of Human Services such funds as are
necessary to effectuate the provisions of this act.

���� 3.� This act shall take effect
immediately and shall expire upon the distribution of funds appropriated
pursuant to section 2 of this act.

STATEMENT

���� This bill increases pay for direct
support professionals and makes and appropriation.

���� Under the bill, the Department
of Human Services is to establish a direct support professional funding program
to distribute monies to employers of direct support professionals in an amount
that is necessary to address direct support professional staffing challenges in
this State, as determined by the Commissioner of Human Services.� The monies
are to be used by the employers to increase the pay of existing or new
employees who are direct support professionals.� The Commissioner of Human
Services is to establish an application process, guidelines, and compliance
standards for the direct support professional funding program.�

���� Direct support professionals
provide critical services and support for people with intellectual and
developmental disabilities.� Direct support professionals support individuals
with intellectual and developmental disabilities in their own homes, family homes,
provider-managed residences and programs, in the community, and workplaces.�
They support individuals with the activities related to daily living, including
personal care, health and well-being, behavioral and mental health,
relationship building, home and community participation, achievement of goals,
and a variety of other individual needs.� An increase in pay for direct support
professionals is well-deserved and will help to address staffing challenges for
employers who are struggling to hire and retain direct support professionals.